Brothers
by Jettara1
Summary: Dagur wasn't always deranged, he didn't always mistreat Hiccup, once they were brothers. When Hiccup proves he's not useless and may be the bravest Viking in history, Dagur once again sees that brother, a misguided one in need of reminding that dragons are not friends, even if he has to capture the wayward boy but maybe he will learn a thing or two about dragons along the way.
1. Chapter 1

Brothers

It was funny how one event could turn your entire world upside-down in a matter of seconds. It was as if it could pick you right up and dump you on your head and nothing in the world would ever be the same again. For Dagur it had happened many times and each time it hurt but never as much as the anger and defiance in Hiccup's eyes as he glared down at him from onto of the Nightfury no longer the scrawny little boy Dagur had once thought a useless weakling nor the dragon warrior he had thought Hiccup had become. This was something different, something more powerful and frightening than an army of dragons bearing down his village. No, this Hiccup was not his Hiccup, not his brother and that bought a strange feeling to Dagur, a sorrow he had not felt since the day his mother died. He had just lost the only person he thought could possibly understand him, who he thought he could finally confide in join their tribes and bring the peace of mind he so desired. Hiccup had betrayed him for a dragon.

In those moments as he realized all his hopes and dreams were dashed he couldn't help but remember Hiccup as he once was, that scrawny little boy who always seemed to be in the way. Well not always in the way. Sure Dagur picked on Hiccup a lot when he was little but it hadn't always been that way and he did consider the younger boy his brother, his little brother who need guidance and protection even if it was from himself.

When Hiccup was born he was just this tiny little thing born late one winter night during the worse weather imaginable, a bad omen, old man Mildew had said when the announcement rang through the village. Dagur was only four at the time and visiting with his parents for the annual treaty signing. He and his mother had been there when the boy was born and Stoick had cradled the enfant with loving arms as he knelt down to introduce the boys.

"Dagur, this is Hiccup, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, my son," Stoick the Vast said in a soft fatherly voice as he presented the baby. "He will be my heir when he grows up, just like you are your father's. Someday the two of you will continue your father's and my work and continue the traditions of our two tribes."

"He's tiny," Dagur grumbled in a disappointed voice. When his father said he would have a new friend he thought it would be one big enough to play with him, someone better than the kids running wild throughout the village with no sense of fun. This baby was just that, a baby. How was he supposed to have fun with a baby?

"Ah…he's small now but one day he will grow up to be a might Viking like his father," said Dagur's father, Oswald the Agreeable who placed a large hand a Dagur's shoulder. "Until then it will be your duty to protect him and love him like a brother. The two of you will become very close and must look after each other, do you understand, Dagur?"

Dagur didn't understand but he nodded nonetheless. If protecting this tiny creature was his duty than he would do as he was told and protect Hiccup with his very soul just as a good Viking would his younger brother. Of course that wasn't exactly easy when the boys lived on separate islands and only saw each other once or twice a year, they barely knew each other. Of course Dagur kept his word and with each visit he would marvel how much the baby had grown into a toddler and then a kid but he heard the rumors and could see for himself that Hiccup was not like that other children. He was too small and incredibly clumsy and caught colds far too easy. There was talk that Hiccup wasn't long for this world, that one day he would grow sickly or be picked off by a dragon for wandering off into the woods rather than staying in the village as he was told. Old man Mildew would watch Hiccup with worried eyes and shake his head, murmuring about it only being a matter of time. Dagur never liked him and Oswald would assure him that the old Viking was simply a doomsayer and not to be paid attention to but that only worried Dagur more and he would make it a point to keep Hiccup at his side for their entire visit be it to the Isle of Berk or Hiccup visiting Berserker Island. He never let Hiccup out of his sight no matter what and no one – not even Hiccup's cousin Snotlout was allowed to say anything bad about the small bundle of energy that bounded excitedly next to Dagur.

When Hiccup was big enough to actually have fun with Dagur was eight and Hiccup four. It was when Dagur really got to learn what being a big brother was. Hiccup was still very small, far thinner and shorter than most kids his age, so when he tired of running Dagur who happily give him piggyback rides and sing him songs that Aunt Valhallarama would later scold him for but would have Hiccup laughing hysterically. Hiccup was easy to entertain but just as easy to frighten. A little ghost story would have the boy in tears and up half the night with nightmares and since Dagur often spent his visits at Hiccup's house those were the nights when the younger boy would crawl into his bed and snuggle up to him. That year Dagur also gained a baby sister but lost his mother due to child birth and things began to change.

The loss of his mother had caused Dagur to have anxiety issues and he became quick to anger. He would get into scraps with the other boys for no reason and would hide from the grownups who wanted nothing more than to comfort him when all he wanted was his mother to hold him one last time. His father also became short tempered and began to drink so in essence he also lost his father and was raised by a woman who would later be Oswald's mistress, not a step mother – no never a step mother – but a Nanny who held and abused the power of the drunkard chieftain. That relationship only lasted so long but it was nonetheless disturbing for the two motherless children. Seeing Hiccup coddled by his mother only made things worse and Dagur soon grew resentful of his "brother", a runt who had everything he should, a strong power father and a loving and equally powerful mother. And while he still took care of Hiccup and protected him from all others he began taunting the boy and saying cruel things that h would have beaten anyone else for, after all Hiccup was his brother and no one else was allowed to touch what was his. Hiccup, used to such behavior from his own tribesmen didn't seemed overly bothered by this at first but he did cry more often in his sleep and the nightmares were worse than when told the scariest of stories. Dagur still let him crawl into his bed when they became too much. He felt even worse when a few years later Hiccup's mother went missing and never returned.

"Where do you think she went?" Hiccup asked one day as they sat around a small pond where the other children were swimming. He was poking the dirt with a stick and had the most perplex look on his tiny face, as if determined to figure out the answer and go find her himself. It was almost laughable if it wasn't so said.

"I don't know," Dagur said honestly as he stared over the blue water at some of the girls swimming around in only their under garments. "Your dad says she's on a quest."

"That was a year ago," Hiccup pointed out. "She should have been home by now."

"Maybe she got eaten by a dragon."

The eight year old gasped and looked up with fearful eyes. "You're lying."

"I said _maybe_."

"Take it back!"

"Hiccup, stop being stupid," Dagur said with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm not stupid. Take it back."

"No."

"TAKE. IT. BACK!"

Dagur glared at him, his temper finally boiling over. "Fine, you want to know the truth? She left because you're a worthless, good for nothing, useless little Hiccup!"

The smaller boy gasped and dropped his stick as he stared at Dagur. Moisture filled his bright green eyes. His mouth opened and closed, doing a great impersonation of a fish out of water. Jumping off the boulder he turned to run away, not once paying any of the other children any attention. He only got about twenty of so paces before he tripped over his own two feet. Dagur rushed after him, ignoring Astrid as she called over to see if Hiccup was alright.

Snotlout gave a snort of laughter at his cousin's misfortune.

"Shut it," Dagur snapped at the dark hair boy and whipped the wooden sword he had been fashioning at him. He knelt in front of Hiccup. "I'm sorry, Hic. I didn't mean it. She's probably just lost and having a hard time getting home."

The boy wiped at his eyes and sniffled but when he looked up there was fire in his eyes that Dagur had never seen before. The small boy, nearly half Dagur's size, turned around and punched him in the nose. It took Dagur by surprise but didn't go unpunished. It was the first he laid hands on Hiccup but not the last and just about every child their age in Berk bore witness to it. Hiccup hobbled home with a broken lip and black eyes while Dagur cradled a bleeding nose. He would have thought Hiccup standing up to someone so much bigger would have gotten him some praise and recognition but instead he got him grounded and assigned as Gobber's – his godfather – apprentice at the forge. Hiccup was too small to be a true Viking warrior like Dagur. It was too dangerous in Stoick's opinion.

The following year didn't go much better and by that time Dagur's temper had gotten worse. His father had dismissed his mistress and began abusing Dagur in ways no man should a child. If it had been up to Dagur he would have found an excuse to skip the annual trip to Berk but as Oswald's heir he had a duty to fulfill. Now that he was thirteen he had to attend the meetings rather than play with Hiccup and he so much wanted to be with his little friend and make up for his harsh words the year before but Hiccup had changed too. He had become more focused on creating gadgets and doohickeys that he barely looked up from his work at the forge when Dagur finally got to visit him.

"So what are you doing?" Dagur asked as he tried to make sense of a bunch of sketches that looked like scribble marks.

Hiccup shrugged. "A better catapult."

"What's wrong with the ones you have?"

"The bolas don't go high enough and keep missing the dragons when they attack. This will fix that."

"Ah…" Dagur could see how, the "designs" made no sense but to Hiccup they were perfect and when he realized he had Dagur's undivided attention he smiled brightly.

"Do you want to see?" the younger boy asked brightly.

Dagur hesitated as he looked at the odd contraption but see Hiccup's smile start to fade he quickly nodded. "Alright, let's go."

If anything that made Hiccup beam. He gathered up his equipment – which in all honesty wasn't very much for something that was supposed to be a catapult. "Gobber, I'm going out for a bit!" he called to his mentor.

The blonde man stuck his head out from the back room. "Where you off to, lad?"

Hiccup glanced to Dagur and the older boy shrugged. Berk's heir bit his lip then grinned. "Just the swimming hole. It's sweltering in here."

Gobber nodded. "Alright, you boys be careful. And no fighting."

"I promise," Hiccup agreed but Dagur said nothing. He couldn't make such promises anymore.

Taking some of the bundle of Hiccup he let the smaller boy lead the way as he went on and on about his silly invention. Dagur only half listened, his mind busy on other more important issues. He would glare at the other teens who seemed to be making fun of Hiccup as they walked by. They would quickly hush and glare back but if Hiccup noticed he paid them no mind, too excited to have someone pay attention to him.

The catapult didn't work as planned and Dagur quickly grew bored as he sat on the beach and watched Hiccup fuss over it. He thumped backward and stared at the bright blue sky. It was hot here. "How about we go swimming?"

Hiccup looked up in surprise then looked from Dagur to the sparkling water and back. "Ah…really? It looks kind of cold."

"You haven't learned to swim yet, have you?" Dagur asked with a hint of teasing.

Hiccup buffed out his small chest. "Of course I have."

"Uh huh."

"I have too."

"If you can't swim just say so," Dagur pressed on, his voice almost challenging.

Hiccup frowned and began stripping down to his undergarments. Dagur grinned and did the same before running into the cool water. It was a little colder than he expected but with the heat it felt nice on his skin and so much better than being cooped up in council meeting with their fathers. Hiccup waded in much slower, obviously not as sure footed as the older boy but soon enough he was swimming next to Dagur. He was a weak swimming but was holding his own.

"Dagur?" the smaller boy ask just above a whisper, as if about to tell a secret.

"Yeah?"

Hiccup bit his lower lip and looked away. "Uh…do you know anything about sex?"

The young Berserker froze in sudden fear as his mind raced with everything that had happened to him recently. Fear filled him as he thought of his crash course to sex and the abuse he had suffered at his father's hands.

Hiccup didn't notice his fear and plunged on ahead. "My Dad's been acting really weird lately and I think he might have…"

The words faded away from Dagur's ears as horror filled him. Not Hiccup, too. This wasn't right, wasn't right at all. Hiccup was too small, he could never protect himself from someone like Stoick and if Stoick was acting strange and sex was involved then if Hiccup was already being abused he would be soon and no one deserved that. Hiccup was better off dead than as his father's toy just because his mother was no longer there.

He didn't think, he panicked. Grabbing Hiccup's head he shoved the smaller boy under the water and forced him to stay there. Hiccup's small hands grasped at his wrists, his nails digging into his flesh as his feet kicked. Dagur hung on tightly, intent on sparing the boy from the horrors he himself had already faced but then Hiccup twisted and yanked, maneuvering himself in such a way the he was able to bite Dagur. Crying out, Dagur let go of Hiccup and swam back as he cradled his arm. Hiccup broke to the surface gasping for air. He panted as he stared at the older boy and then scrambled out of the water and as far from Dagur as possible.

"You're crazy!" Hiccup yelled as he grabbed his clothes and ran off.

"Hiccup, wait!" Dagur yelled, afraid for the younger boy's safety and while Hiccup didn't tell anyone what happened, Dagur's father was not happy and their visit was cut short. For nearly a week he was punished for scaring Berk's heir and possibly causing war between the two tribes. Things after that only went downhill between the two boys and Dagur was more and more sure that Hiccup was being abused by his father as well but he could never bring up the subject, Hiccup would almost always walk away until his father forced him to give Dagur tours of the village. That usually ended up in an argument or more likely, Dagur losing his patience and chucking a battle ax at his head. For such a small, clumsy kid, Hiccup was certainly quick on his feet.

Then the stories of Hiccup defeating Red Death began to circulate and Dagur knew it was a sign of good things to come. He and his father had gotten into a drunken fight, the last they would ever have. He had killed his chief while trying to protect his sister who had – in Oswald's opinion – of age. If asked he would say it was over the monstrous beast but in his heart he knew he could not bear to see his see abused as he was. When he was named chieftain he was ecstatic to return to Berk and see Hiccup, fully expecting his childhood friend to be the new chieftain of his tribe as well, after all how could someone so small defeat something as huge and foreboding as Red Death not have grown into a fierce young man. Then rumors of Berk training dragons reached him and he again questioned what was happening on their sister island. Were they forming an army of dragons? Was Hiccup planning to attack Berserker Island as revenge for picking on him not so long ago?

When he went to investigate he was actually disappointed to see Stoick still chief and that there was no dragon army – that would have been kind of cool although scary as hell for his people. But most disappointing – at least at first – was Hiccup had barely changed, with the exception of the leg he lost to Red Death. He was still the derby, scrawny little runt as before and he was almost willing to dismiss him altogether, until the dragon attack. Hiccup had shone then, running to his rescue and taking on the dragons as if it were second nature and his job…as if he could speak to them, as if he was one with them. Dagur would admit he had been scared and was torn between grabbing the younger boy and dragging him out of the dragon ring or running for his life and in the end he probably couldn't have reached Hiccup even if he tried. But the boy was brave and it made Dagur finally respect him, after all not everyone could stand up to a dragon, let alone a herd of dragons, and walk away unscathed. But now it would seem it was all a trick and Dagur felt that familiar disappointment.

He stared up at Hiccup now and was once more torn between pride and disappointment. Hiccup, his brother, had not only tamed a Nightfury but had bested him in battle using cunning and ingenuity. It hurt, more than Dagur ever wished to admit but watching Hiccup fly off with that blasted dragon he felt as if he lost not only a brother but so much more and in that moment a new feeling grew within him. Not revenge, not anger or hate but the need to possess, to make Hiccup and his dragon his. To own them both and he swore that no matter what it took Hiccup would be his.

fin


	2. Chapter 2

**People asked for a continuation so here goes.**

Brothers 2

War came to Berk in the form of raging Berserkers and it proved once and for all Berk indeed had dragons and that Hiccup wasn't alone in his betrayal. Dagur never felt such rage before. Had Hiccup only talked to him, told him about the dragons maybe even showed him them Dagur might have forgiven his trespasses but to hide them and pretend nothing had changed and then use one – the very one Dagur had been hunting and dreamed of possessing since he was a small boy – that could not be forgiven. So rather than hunt down Berk's chief – who also rode a dragon just for the record – he set his focus solely on his former brother.

Hiccup had changed far more than Dagur ever dreamed possible. Yes he was still scrawny and looked out of place amongst the other Vikings. He only carried his ornate shield rather than swords and dager and battle ax but he led the other riders with amazing ease, his Nightfury commanding the attention of all around him. The riders were just as surprising as their leader, they were the very kids who had tormented Hiccup when he was little, the very ones Dagur would beat up to protect Hiccup. It made Hiccup's betrayal all the more devastating. He had given up his friendship with Dagur not only for dragons but them? He could remember clearly the way Snotlout would shove Hiccup around and call him names, the way the twins would trip him and poke fun at how clumsy he was and how Astrid – Hiccup's obvious second in command – would ignore him. Only Fishlegs ever seemed remotely interested in Hiccup as a person. Now here they all were banded together to fight someone who actually cared for Hiccup, who thought of him as a brother and tried to protect him. It made no sense and enraged Dagur all the more. He would make Hiccup see the errors in his way. He would make Hiccup come to his senses and save him from himself.

Berk's port was in flames but the Hairy Hooligans fought bravely and was able to keep them from getting further onto the island, thanks mainly to the dragons that kept pushing the Berserkers back and rounding up any who managed to break the defenses. Their movements were well organized and Hiccup belted out orders like a true leader, even taking command from his father when it came to a move that Stoick either didn't know or wasn't well enough versed in. It was obviously that the chieftain was still very much engrossed in everyday Viking business while Hiccup and his followers spent far more of their time with the dragons. Nonetheless Dagur found a way past their defenses and slipped into the shadows with two of his best men, the chaos of the battle deflecting attention away from them.

Once inside Berk Dagur stopped to consider his next move. Usually he was a great strategist and had already conquered several other tribes who had taken the news of his father's death as an invitation to try and steal the Berserkers from Dagur, the youngest chieftain in recent history. He had fought and defeated them with relative ease but now faced with Hiccup and the dragons all his battle plans seem to go up in smoke and he wasn't sure what to do next. He wanted to capture Hiccup, to yell at him and shake him and make him see reason. They were brothers and brothers stood together. They could rid themselves of Stoick and make Hiccup the next chieftain and forget this whole dragon nonsense or better yet use them as the weapons they were meant to be and unite all the tribes. Together they could right the wrongs of their fathers and make everything right. Yet rather than lift his bola Dagur stood in the shadows and watched as Hiccup rode the ebony beast, talking and petting the dragon as if they were the best of friends, as if the thing understood him which Dagur was almost certain it could.

"Dagur, do it now," Harold urged as he stood by his side. "Quickly while his back is turned."

Dagur jumped at his uncle's voice and glared at him. "I will decide when and how to capture Hiccup, not you," he snapped, his voice low but harsh. His fists twisted around the bola in his hands as he glanced back at Hiccup. There were too many Hooligans and dragons fighting, they were far too close to Hiccup to make capturing his prey even remotely easy and while Dagur loved a challenge any attempt to catch Hiccup and his dragon in the nets would prove disastrous. No, he needed to separate Hiccup from the pack. "Start setting houses on fire. That ought to attract some attention."

Merick and Harold nodded and took off toward the houses while Dagur waited. He had an idea and even if he failed to take Berk at least he'd go hold with a prize, either Hiccup in chains or that Nightfury's head on a stake. He didn't have to wait long before there was screaming and crying coming from the village as houses went up in flames and small children, their parents and the elderly were running from their homes. Dagur smirked. Aw…chaos, how lovely the sight.

"Put out those fires!" Stoick yelled, sending a contingent of his warriors to help the civilians.

"Astrid, take charge," Hiccup yelled to the blonde girl and the Deadly Nadder. "Fishlegs, come with me. The rest of you follow Astrid's lead."

Hiccup and Fishlegs's dragons broke from the pack to assist their people. The dragons taking large water buckets from near the well and diving toward the ocean to fill them quickly. Dagur watched in fascination at how well rider and dragon worked in tandem, as if one being. One by one the fires were extinguished but Dagur didn't wait for the end result, he pulled out his crossbow and shot an arrow just in front of Hiccup.

The young heir reared back in surprise and his dragon darted to the side to avoid another arrow. Dagur grinned triumphantly when their attention fell on him but rather than fire another arrow he glared at Hiccup challengingly. The smaller boy was not one to disappoint.

"Dagur, stop this craziness!" Hiccup yelled.

Dagur only smirked and rather than answer took off running in the other direction, a tactic he had never used before and planned to never use again. He'd rather battle an enemy head on than turn tail. But in this case it was a ploy that worked near perfectly. Hiccup and his dragon gave chase. The dragon was fast but Dagur had spent many summers wandering these woods and knew it almost as well as the back of his hand. He led them on a merry chase, circling the town and then back toward the harbor and his armada. When he neared the shore he turned and fired another arrow toward his rival and dragon, this one lit with a small flame. It just missed Hiccup's shoulder but was enough to make the rider pause and pull back on his dragon as if knowing what was about to happen next and he wasn't wrong. A moment later the sky lit up with flaming arrows at the armada answered Dagur signal.

The dragon darted for the cover of trees as those arrows reigned down around them but Dagur anticipated that and threw a bola at them. Two more came from out of the woods and all three met their target, wrapping around the dragon's body and legs, pinning his wings and rider to him.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried as he dropped his shield and pulled out a hidden dagger to cut them free. "Hold on, bud."

The dragon snapped his jaws, his teeth tearing at the rope around his front paws as his rider cut his wings free. Dagur growled in anger. Hiccup was far faster than he gave him credit for and in a matter of seconds the small boy was nearly free. Dagur rushed him and before Hiccup could cut the dragon free he tackled him, knocking him off the dragon and two the ground while the two other Berserkers hurried to secure the dragon.

"Get off me!" Hiccup yelled, rolling around on the ground with Dagger and managing to get in a few good punches before Dagur had enough and slammed his head into the ground and held it there.

"Shut up, traitor," he sneered, feeling enough rage to break the boy's neck but holding himself in check. He couldn't help Hiccup if he killed him. "You broke the treaty, Hiccup. You made me look like a fool."

"Didn't have to try hard," Hiccup shot back, still trying to push the large boy off him.

That nearly did it. Dagur nearly lost it then and reached for his sword but he took a deep calming breath as he gathered his thoughts. He glanced at Harold and Merick as they secured the last of the rope around the Nightfury. "Kill it," he commanded, his voice deadly and meaning business.

"NO!" Hiccup screamed, reaching past Dagur in hopes of stopping the two men.

Dagur gestured for them to wait and sat back just enough for Hiccup to catch his breath. "Then surrender."

Hiccup's brows knotted at his stared at the larger boy. "What?"

"Surrender. I've already caught you. You're a prisoner of war. _My_ prisoner. Come with me and I'll stop the attack on your village and let the beast live…for now."

Hiccup shook his head. "Dagur, you've lost it. We never attacked you. We would never use the dragons to attack you."

Dagur's eyes darkened with anger. "You're a pathetic excuse for a liar, Hiccup. Kill it."

"No!"

The dragon more a horrid noise as Harold ran a sword in its side, not a killing blow but one that was sure to bring the desired results from its rider.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried. He managed to shove Dagur off of him and tried to make a break for the dragon when Dagur caught him and forced him back to the ground. Harold stabbed the animal again. "NO! Stop! Stop! I'll do what you want, just stop hurting him!"

"Toothless?" Dagur snorted as he glared at the muzzled dragon. He could clearly see a row of teeth in the dragon's mouth. He held Hiccup close, his chest pressed to the smaller boy's back much as he would when they were young and he would force the boy to listen to one of Tuffnut's ghost stories when Gobber would take them camping. "What a stupid name." He adjusted his hold on Hiccup and leaned his head against the smaller boy's. "It's okay, Hiccup. I'm not mad at you. You made a mistake and will fix it." He combed his finger through the boy's hair as if such a gesture would calm Hiccup down. He had never seen such horror or hurt in his brother's eyes before. "We'll take your pet, too and make it all better. You just have to do as I say. We're going to make this all better."

Hiccup only stared at him with questioning eyes.

The looks on the Hairy Hooligan's faces when Hiccup was paraded onto the docks, arms bound behind him and dragon carted behind him was priceless and Dagur was both giddy and perplexed by their reactions. Of course Stoick was outraged and would have moved to attack if Hiccup didn't quickly intervene.

"Dad, don't. It's okay. I'm okay," the heir said quickly with a brave smile.

Stoick's eyes narrowed as he looked from his son to Dagur. "Let my son go, Dagur. This is between you and me as chiefs."

Dagur shook his head as he placed a hand on Hiccup's slim shoulder. "No, Stoick. This is between Hiccup and me. It's always been between us. It will always be between us."

Stoick again moved to attack and even motioned for the other dragons to cut off their escape. Dagur's eyes narrowed and without thought he brought his sword to Hiccup's throat, causing the smaller boy to gasp in surprise. "Let us pass out you'll be picking up pieces of your little boy and his dragon, little pieces at that."

"Dad, we'll be okay. Guys back off and let the Berserkers through," Hiccup said sternly, sounding more annoyed than anything else.

Reluctantly Stoick waved the other teens off and motioned for the Hooligans to let the Berserkers through. "This isn't over, Dagur. You harm one hair on my son's head and it'll be you being picked up in little pieces."

Dagur only grinned and held Hiccup close as his armada took to the ocean. "You and I, brother, we've got a lot to talk about," he whispered as he gazed at the injured Nightfury tied and bond to the deck. "An awful lot to talk about."


	3. Chapter 3

Brothers 3

Dagur shoved Hiccup to the bow of the ship, as far from his dragon as possible that was hog tied at the stern. Hiccup glared at the older boy but as the distance between them and Berk grew the youth's attention turned from the staring contest to his injured beast. He made a strange sound in the back of his throat which was quickly answered by the dragon, then made another, as if the two wear talking to each other. Dagur listened in fascination, he had never heard anything like it and while it made no sense to him there was no doubt the two understood each other.

"Enough of that!" Harold snapped, raising his hand to slap Hiccup.

Dagur caught him and stilled that hand. "No one touches him," he snarled at his uncle and second in command. He met the older man's eyes with his steely gaze and his uncle quickly backed off.

Hiccup blinked in surprise and looked from one man to the other then settled on the young chieftain. "Dagur," he started, waiting until the Berserker look at him. "Toothless needs me."

Dagur's eyes narrowed and he felt the urge to throttle Hiccup for even asking such a thing of him but he took a deep breath and kept his calm. "No," he said simply, turning his back on the young Hooligan. He glared at the dragon, noting the small pool of blood forming under the beast. They didn't have any rags to starch the bleeding and he wasn't sure what Hiccup was expecting to do to help the animal. He glanced back to Hiccup as an idea quickly formed. Stomping up to the boy he reached behind him, slashed his ropes and then before Hiccup had a chance to react or try to trick him, he ripped off the sleeves of his tunic and shoved him into Harold's arms. "Retie tie," he instructed as he handed the ragged sleeves to another Viking. "Starch the beast's wounds. I don't want it dying just yet."

Hiccup gave an eep as he was shoved back to the floor but at least he had shut up for the time being. Dagur rubbed his temples and stood next to the other boy as he watched Berserker Island come into sight. He was never so happy to be home. The dragon could be thrown in a cage while he talked some sense into Hiccup and once the boy was back to normal they'd finish the beast off together just as brothers should. Everything would be back to what it once was. Absently he reached down and placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Hiccup only stared at him with those wide questioning green eyes.

Dagur just nodded to himself. "Soon everything will be as it should."

For such a small guy Hiccup could sure put up a fight where his dragon was concerned. Hauling the Nightfury was not an easy task now that they had to move him uphill. They used dollies and pullies to lift it off the boat and up the dragon ring as they had many dragons before it but this beast was like dead weight and Dagur began to worry that his men may have hit an artery or something to fatal. Hiccup struggled and fought to get to the dragon.

"Toothless! Toothless!" Hiccup yelled, fearful that his dragon might die before he had a chance to save it. "Dagur, please he's hurt. Let me help him."

"Would you shut up," snarled Merick, growing weary of the boy's caterwauling.

Dagur grabbed Hiccup's arm and dragged him away from the boats and up to the village. "Enough of this nonsense. Your stupid dragon will be fine. I'll have the shaman look after him. Happy."

"Your shaman doesn't know anything about dragons," Hiccup pointed out, trying to keep up. A downpour had hit just as they were coming into port and the rain made the slope wet and muddy and while Dagur could trudge through it with little difficulty Hiccup's prosthetic leg kept slipping and made Hiccup's footing unstable. "Stupid leg," the younger boy cursed as he fell to one knee. "Stupid rain."

Dagur sighed and wrapped his arm under Hiccup's bound ones until they reached his house and then dumped the boy on the messy floor. "Stay put while I make sure your pet is secure," he ordered before shutting and locking the door behind him. He heard Hiccup course and yell after him but ignored it. Soon Hiccup would see things his way.

Securing the dragon wasn't that difficult; he put up little fuss and looked as if it were dying. Well Hiccup was sure to be mighty upset about that, not that Dagur planned on telling him. Nonetheless if he planned on keeping Hiccup with him he would have to keep the beast healthy so once the dragon was settled into the cage Dagur sauntered in to look at his catch. His hand trailed over the muzzle to the wide neck, over one wing and down the tail before following the route back up. "I want to see its belly," he told his men and three of them rushed to help him push the dragon onto its side.

That got the dragon's attention. It roared, its tail swing back and forth and knocking the men away. Dagur ducked and avoided the tail and with a mighty shove managed to knock the animal onto its side. It gave a screeched of agony and had its legs not been bond he would have torn into the young chieftain. The fall also reopened the slowly healing wounds. Unconsciously, Dagur reached out and rubbed the scaly black belly.

"Shh…your master's fine," he murmured as he inspected the wounds. There were two deep, thick gashes in the belly that would have easily killed any other animal or human. He pressed the already soaked remains of Hiccup's sleeves against the wounds to stop the bleeding. "Heat a sword," he instructed the men. "Hurry. I want these sealed immediately. I will not have a war due to one mangy dragon." And he was sure that if this dragon died before he could get through to Hiccup that all his hard work would be for not. No, he wasn't about to lose Hiccup just yet.

Once a sword was heated and glowing bright red he took it and stared the bright end for a moment before bringing it down on the first seeping wound. The dragon jerked and howled in agony, his tail swishing in an attempt to get Dagur away from him. Dagur side stepped and handed the sword back to his men before taking a second one and bringing it down on the next wound. In moments the wounds were sealed and the dragon no longer in danger of bleeding to death – or so Dagur hoped, it was hard to tell with dragons. The Nightfury thumped its head on the ground with a keening whine before its eyes closed and it seemingly passed out.

Dagur gestured for his men to leave as he studied the beast. A Nightfury. He had a Nightfury. He'd always dreamed of seeing one and now here it was. He ran a hand over the animal's head, curious about it, wanting to know about it. He touched the frills, noting the way they quivered and almost smiled. This dragon wasn't so scary…it was kind of neat, like an overgrown cat. That made him smirk. He had seen the beast in action yet here it was, laying on its side – albeit due to an injury – sleeping. Not so scary.

Hesitantly, he began removing the strange device and saddle from the dragon. There was no need for such things, it wasn't as if he would be needing such things anymore, and put them in a storage room for safe keeping. Who knew, it might prove interesting to study if he ever decided to train his own dragons. Then he untied the bolas and other ropes holding the beast down. He half expected the dragon to jump up and attack him but it simply lay there and another tinge of worry filled Dagur. Hiccup would not be happy to learn his pet was hurt. Making sure the cage was secure and locked tightly, Dagur took one last look at the dragon. It would be a petty for the dragon to die like this. Perhaps, if the shaman says it could not be saved then he'd give the beast an honorable death.

The walk back to his house seemed long and tiring and Dagur was nearly ready for bed when he went to push the door open, forgetting he had locked it. Uttering an oath he rummaged through his pockets for the key and then unlocked it. He had nearly forgotten Hiccup was there until he nearly walked into the smaller boy who was standing in the midst of the chaos of the room trying to cut his bonds free by rubbing up against an ax leaning against the hearth.

Dagur yawned and grabbed him by the shoulder, not at all bothered by the attempt at escape. "Bed time," he mumbled between yawns as he dragged the smaller youth up the stairs to his room and shoved him down on a mound of furs. He stripped off Hiccup's soggy wet clothes, cutting away the tunic to save time so he wouldn't have to untie and retie Hiccup's arms, and then threw a blanket over him before stripping away his own soaked clothing. Then, with another mighty yawn he lay next to the younger boy, not bothered by either of their nudity and pulled a warm fur over them.

"Dagur…"Hiccup started, his head poking out from under the blanket.

"Shh…sleep," Dagur grumbled, pulling the boy into his arms like he would when Hiccup was little and having a nightmare, as if the boy had climbed into bed with him rather than being focused to sleep next to him.

"But Toothless…"

"He's fine. I sealed the wounds. He's fine. Now go to sleep." He pressed his head to Hiccup's in one of his nicer ways of telling the boy it was time to shut up or face a beating.

Hiccup hushed for a moment and then finally relaxed, if only a little. "Thank you," he murmured.

Dagur smiled into his hair and hugged him a little tighter. Things would work out. It all started with baby steps and for Hiccup he was willing to take those little steps. Soon Hiccup would remember his place and they would be brothers once more.

. . .

"The Berserkers captured the Dragon Trainer," Savage reported when he returned from one of his scouting missions. He looked excited when he gave Alvin the news. "Stole him and his dragon right out from under Stoick's nose."

"Stole Hiccup, eh?" Alvin asked, a little taken back by the news. "And what would the Berserkers want with the boy? Are they planning to train dragon now, too?"

"Not according to our spies," Savage said quickly, knowing better than to upset his leader. "There's no real reason for their chieftain to take the boy. From all reports the Berserkers and Hooligans are allies. This move could cause war between their tribes."

Alvin stroked his beard in thought. "Young Dagur is not the most stable leader they've ever had. The boy craves bloodshed and the ways of old. Perhaps he does desire war again Berk. Maybe it's time we extend our hand in friendship and join forces against the Hooligans in exchange for Stoick's runt."

Savage nodded in excitement. "We could utilize the dragons on Berserker with ours and destroy Berk."

The Outcast leader gave a nod. "Ready our ships, it's time I paid young Dagur a visit. And if he doesn't hand over Hiccup…well then he'll get a crash course on what war really is about, no?" He grinned devilishly as plans raced through his mind. Oh yes, Hiccup would be finally his and if Dagur refused to give the boy up well he had ways of dealing with the young Berserker.


	4. Chapter 4

Brothers 4

"Ow…damn…oh come on," Hiccup mutter from somewhere under the furs. The heavy bundle shifted and twisted and a body bumped against Dagur's, waking the older boy. "Bloody hell."

The older boy blinked bleary eyes and rolled toward the warm body, reaching down and hugging the bundle to him like an oversize pillow. "Too early to wake up," he murmured half asleep. He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep but gave a yelp when he got a knobby elbow to the gut. "Hey!" he grumbled, coming fully awake. He pulled the furs back in annoyance and glared down at Hiccup for a moment before his eyes widened. He had completely forgotten the Hooligan was with him and not in the stockades as Harold had suggested. The brunette was on his side, looking as if in pain as he rotated his shoulders and glared back up at him.

"Would you kindly untie me? My arms are stiff," Hiccup complained, shifting to try and keep the blanket on him while keeping pressure off his arms. He winced in pain as he shifted his prosthetic leg, accidently bumping Dagur, as if that might bring the older boy's anger. "And I need to remove my fake leg and adjust it. It may have been damaged when I slipped on the way up here."

"Or when you tried to escape," Dagur countered but he gave a playful grin and reached for the knife he kept under his pillow. Hiccup continued glaring at him even as he cut the robes and freed the younger boy then he waved the knife at him as Hiccup rubbed his bruised wrists. "Now, no trying anything or I'll hog tie you next time and throw you in the stockades."

"Is that where Toothless is?" Hiccup asked, not bothered by the threat.

Dagur's eyes darkened in annoyance. "Is that all you think of, that stupid dragon?" he demanded, shoving Hiccup aside as he stood. "You know there are more important things in life than riding you pet dragon. Why don't you just marry the blasted thing?" It sounded childish even to his own ears but Hiccup's obvious love for the creature was disgusting and he couldn't comprehend why the Hooligans seemed so intent on keeping the beasts as pets rather than hunting them and conquering the race. Oh perhaps that's exactly what they did and Hiccup really was the Dragon Conqueror and kept the Nightfury as a trophy of sorts. That would make sense. Yes that has to be it. This Toothless was a trophy and Hiccup was possessive of his prize and didn't want to share or see it dead because then how would he show his power?

"Dagur, you need help," Hiccup grumbled as he adjusted the blanket over him and reached for his trousers. He pulled them on under the blanket. It was then Dagur noticed one leg was cut to accommodate the prosthetic. The youth pulled that pant leg up a little higher and began unstrapping the device. He breathed a sigh of relief when it was off and rubbed the red and raw stump. "I knew I got mud in it," he grumbled, wiping at the mud with the blanket. "Gobber's going to have kittens if he sees all this gunk."

Before Hiccup could finish cleaning the artificial leg Dagur scooped it up to inspect the device. "So this is what you use to control the beast?" he asked thoughtfully, noting the design of the foot and remembering the contraption on the dragon.

For a moment Hiccup stared at him in surprise before waving his arms in anger. "What? Why would you take that? I need it. Hey, Dagur, kid with one leg really needs that to walk. It's not a club!"

Dagur paused in his inspection to glare at the younger boy. He patted the leg with one hand as if it really was a club. "If I hit anything with it it'll be you and your thick skull, lughead. Now pipe down. How did you ever defeat Red Death? Did you talk it to death or something?"

Hiccup gave a snort, not amused. Thrusting out one hand he motioned for his leg. "Sure Dagur, better than drowning it."

That started another glaring contest that ended when Dagur became bored and sighed in annoyance. He threw the leg to Hiccup then leaned against the table. "Are you ever going to let up on that? We were having fun."

"Sure just like losing my leg to Red Death was a joy walk that I'll be happy to do again, after all I still have one left." As if to emphasize that he kicked the air with his good leg.

"That's the spirit," Dagur cowed, seeing some of that Hiccup spirit coming back. The boy was truly showing the Viking spirit now. Maybe they would go on a hunt while he was visiting.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and shook his head as he finished cleaning the prosthetic and grumbled under his breath. For a while silence reigned between them and Dagur decided to get dressed. Once down he sat across from the other boy and began cleaning and sharpening his favorite sword. From time to time he would look up and watch the concentration in Hiccup's face as he completely dismantled the prosthetic, gave it a detailed cleaning and then put it all back together again. It was rather fascinating, Dagur could count on one hand the number of people he knew who could do such a thing on one hand and still have plenty of fingers left. He certainly couldn't do it as much as it pained him to admit it even to himself. It was one of the things he liked about Hiccup, his creativity and imagination.

"So that dragon of yours…how'd you come about it?" he finally asked, his curiosity bubbling. What a prize a Nightfury must make. The spawn of lightning and hell controlled by such a small being like Hiccup, it was unimaginable yet Dagur had seen them together and the way they moved together, as if knowing exactly what the other thought. It must have taken them a long time to get that good. Years maybe. "Exactly how long have you been keeping them a secret?"

Hiccup stared at the device in his hands. "Do you really care or do you just want me to train dragons for you, too?" He looked up, his eyes steely and a little frightened, as if enraged by the thought. "Let me guess, Alvin the Treacherous was your 'source' and he told you all about his great scheme to create a dragon army and that's why you captured me." His small hands balled into fists around the metal and wood, turning white with the force of his grip. "Well let me tell you one thing, Dagur 'the Deranged', you must be deranged if you think for even a moment I'll help you or him created an army of dragons. Yes, we have dragons and if you attack us we'll use them to defend ourselves but they're not weapons they're our friends and allies and if you so much as think of hurting Toothless again _I'll_ tear you limp from limp and then we'll see just which one of us is deranged."

Dagur was taken back. He'd never seen Hiccup so angry before. Sure he'd seen the boy upset or mad, hell he'd made Hiccup cry on a number of occasions but to have the boy actually threaten him and look deathly serious…well that was worth celebrating. He smiled brightly and clapped the smaller boy on the shoulder. "It must be a real prize. Had you and your father simply told me about them from the beginning we wouldn't have all these issues. So how did you catch it? It was the tail fin, right? I noticed he had a prosthetic like your leg."

It was Hiccup's turn to be taken back and he just gaped at Dagur for a long time before nodding. "Yeah. He was injured. I sort of hurt him but I was trying to help protect Berk…" He rubbed the back of his neck and flushed slightly in embarrassment. "It was a very shaky beginning." He hesitated a moment and looked around at the messy room. "You have an extra shirt or am I stuck running around topless?"

"I doubt I have anything that'll fit you. Maybe my sister does," Dagur snorted before reaching into a pile of what Hiccup assumed were rags and pulled out an old tunic that looked two sizes too big and threw it to him.

Hiccup made a face but pulled it on nonetheless. It hung off one shoulder but otherwise covered him up. "Where's your sister?"

"Living with my aunt and uncle," Dagur said. He looked away as if he didn't really want to talk about it. "After Dad died…I thought it best she stay with them now that I'm chief. If we're ever attacked they would never think to look for her there. No one would think to look for her there."

Hiccup nodded in understanding. "Dad wanted to do the same with me after Mother disappeared but he didn't trust Spitelout to have my best interests at heart and Gobber's his right hand man so if there was a battle he was often gone to war with him." He gave a shrug. "I'm actually happy he decided to keep me, he didn't have to."

Silence filled the space again and both went back to working on their tasks until Hiccup fitted his prosthetic leg back on and tightened the straps. Then he sat back and sighed.

Dagur looked up once more, this time frown at the slight grimace of pain the marred Hiccup's freckled face. "Does it hurt?" he asked. He'd always wondered about that. Losing a limp must hurt but to be forced to wear such contraptions in order to function in the world must not be comfortable. In his more unstable moments, those times where he could swear his father's ghost was taunting him, Dagur wondered if he should just cut off his hand or leg just to feel something other than the endless pressure in his head and pain in his heart.

Hiccup winced and flexed his knee to make sure he didn't tie the straps too tight. "Yeah," he mumbled. "It always hurts, especially when the weather's bad but at least I can walk. I think I would have lost my mind if I couldn't take care of myself. Then I really would be useless."

"Tell me about your dragon…Toothless," Dagur requested again. He waited, hoping beyond hope Hiccup would go into more detail about the beast but to his disappointment Hiccup kept his mouth shut and uttered only one sentence that made Dagur want to smack him.

"He's my friend."

Thankfully Harold saved the day and clomped up the steps before Dagur had a chance to snap. He poked his head in the room and gave Dagur a bright fatherly smile. "Dagur, we have a war meeting, lad. Did you forget?"

"No, just got sidetracked," Dagur said as he sheathed his sword across his back. He stomped over to Hiccup and grabbed smaller boy by the arm. "Well now you'll get to see your friend while I tend to chief business."

"Hey, I can walk. You don't need to…" Hiccup objected as Harold tied his arms behind him once more and then Dagur threw him over his shoulder and carried him down the stairs and outside.

"Your leg's bothering you and it's a long climb to the dragon pits. Besides," Dagur shifted Hiccup's weight and kept a firm grip on the youth's legs. "It's far too muddy out here for you to be able to make the climb."

He heard Hiccup sigh and mumble something under his breath before giving up any fight and simply staying still. Harold caught his gaze and raised a questioning brow, silently asking why Dagur was even bothering carried the Hooligan heir all the way up to the dragon pits rather than throwing him into the stockades where prisoners of war were normally kept or simply executing him. Dagur's face hardened into an angry mask that demanded respect and no questions. After all Dagur was the leader of the Berserkers, not Harold and his word was law. If he wanted to keep Hiccup, that was up to him and no one else.

Once they reached the dragon pits he headed straight for the Nightfury's cage and, carefully balancing Hiccup on his shoulder, he unlocked and opened the massive door. The dragon didn't raise its head and a pang of fear tightened around Dagur's heart. He prayed the beast was still alive as he lowered Hiccup to the rock floor and untied his hands as Harold locked them inside, guarding it until Dagur was ready to leave.

Hiccup watched him carefully, not making a move to his dragon until Dagur left the cage, then he crawled to his friend and petted its head. "Toothless? Bud, you okay? Toothless?"

Dagur hesitated at the door, watching with growing fear as Hiccup hugged the black beast with growing panic. His hand curled around the bars, refusing to leave until he knew that he didn't just leave his brother with a dead animal that was not an honorable kill. Then relief flooded him and Hiccup as large bright green eyes opened and a pink tongue ran over Hiccup's face in a loving kiss.

Hiccup gave a happy laugh and hugged the big head tighter. "Don't scare me like that!" he reprimanded with a giggle.

The dragon – Toothless, Dagur reminded himself as he watched in fascination – gave a mighty yawn before shaking himself like a big cat and began licking his rider in earnest.

"No, stop! Toothless, he he…stop! Ew…what did they feed you? Ew…stop! Toothless!" There was no real reprimand in his voice just laughter as the dragon knocked him over and sniffed and licked him.

Dagur smiled and turned away. Well the dragon was fine and Hiccup was getting a rather sticky bath that Dagur would remember to tease him about later. Harold just shook his head, utterly confused by his nephew's behavior but said nothing as they hurried back down the hill and to the war hall. They were nearly back to the village when distant sails caught Dagur's attention. He paused, half expecting the ships to be Stoick the Vast but the colors were all wrong. He looked to his uncle who shrugged, just as surprised. It was only a few ships, not an armada or army so it didn't appear to be anything to worry about. Nonetheless Dagur felt that nagging feeling again and he glanced back up to the dragon pits, wondering if Hiccup was safe there, not if the Hooligan would escape or be in any sort of danger from Toothless, but if he was safe from whomever was about to land on their shores.

Harold placed a hand on his shoulder and steered him toward the port. "The boy and his dragon will be fine. We need to see to the Outcasts. If they're here it's not for good reason."

Dagur's eyes shifted about as he tried to recall what Hiccup had said about Alvin the Treacherous, something about an army of dragons or some silliness. He looked up to the dragon pits, certain that it was the wrong place to keep Hiccup and Toothless but there was no time to move them. Harold was right, he had duties as chieftain that needed his attention and with any luck he could turn the Outcasts around, otherwise he would do whatever necessary to protect Hiccup and his people.


	5. Chapter 5

Brothers 5

The knot in Dagur's stomach grew and twisted once he made out just which ships were moored off Berserker Island. He had all but forgotten about Alvin the Treacherous and his messenger who had informed him about him about Berk's growing army of dragons. It was rare for the Berserkers and Outcasts to bother with each other but at the time Dagur had just became chief and was still proving himself. He should have known that as soon as word got out that he had the Dragon Conqueror Alvin would slither in to take his prize. Well that wasn't about to happen. Hiccup and Toothless were his and no one, no one was taking them away from Dagur.

Regardless he was not about to run all the way back to the dragon pits. No he would not show weakness before the older chieftain. He kept a straight face as he strolled toward the pier with no fear and all the gusto of a proper Berserker Viking. Nonetheless he spoke to Harold in a low voice. "I don't like this. Tell Merick to prepare the men for possible battle."

"What about the boy and dragon?" Harold asked, his voice just as low.

Dagur took a deep breath. He wasn't sure. If Alvin came peacefully then it was Dagur's duty to give him the customary tour of the village and dragon pits which would expose Hiccup and Toothless. If the rumours were true Alvin would want custody of the boy and Dagur was not about to allow that. He looked to his uncle, uncertain what to do without causing war and while he thrilled at the idea of battle he did not want it on his shores, near his village and his sister. He needed to somehow prevent that and protect his people.

"I don't know, but I don't want Alvin knowing they're here," he said finally as the Outcasts trudged through the water the last few feet to shore.

Harold turned and touched his leader's shoulder as he spoke quietly into his ear. "I may have an idea but you're not going to like it."

Dagur listened as his uncle spoke, detailing a plan that wasn't one he would normally agree to but if it ensured his brother's safety then he would do whatever was necessary. He gave a tiny nod before straightening and meeting Alvin head on. Another idea form in his mind as the large bear of a man lumbered toward him. Perhaps he could distract Alvin with a good old fashion hunt. Unfortunately that was quickly dashed when the man got up to him.

"Dagur, my boy," Alvin said with a merry smile as he clasped the youth's shoulders enthusiastically, something rather odd for the Outcast leader. "I heard the good news. Congratulations! I hear you managed to steal him right from under Stoick the Vast."

The enthusiasm was totally unexpected and Dagur was taken aback by it. He stared up at the man and blinked owlishly. "Who?" he asked, knowing yet refusing to admit to capturing Hiccup.

"_Who?"_ Alvin echoed still smiling as he wrapped an arm around Dagur's shoulders. "Ha! You have your father's sense of humor. Now why don't we celebrate your victory in the mead hall? I want to hear all the details."

Dagur looked to Harold feeling like a rabbit caught in a snare, a feeling he didn't like and would usually rage over but he held his tongue as he glanced out oven the ocean. There only appeared to be a handful of ships, not an armada threatening war. Perhaps Alvin was only visiting to congratulate him over his victory over Berk. He smiled, certain that were the case. "Yes, let's break out the mead! We have yet to celebrate." He didn't notice the grin that spread over the older man's face.

In the mead hall the heads of the warrior clans all met with the Outcast warriors visiting the island. No one spoke of Hiccup although Alvin hinting toward his capture a number of times as chalices were filled and bread broken. Music filled the hall and it was a merry celebration that quickly eased Dagur's worried soul and brought smiles throughout the room.

"So lad, what did you do with the Dragon Conqueror and his pet? Feed them to the wolves? Torture them?" Alvin finally asked after his second tankard.

Dagur had almost forgotten Alvin's interest in Hiccup…almost. He looked at his mug before meeting Alvin's eyes. "I drowned them," he said, his voice dark and deadly. "The brat pulled a sword and tried to free the beast so I knocked him out, tied him to that blasted dragon and threw them overboard. Stoick will never find their bodies…ha, but I would be surprised if he continues trying."

Rage filled Alvin's eyes as he glared at Dagur who only met his gaze. "Drowned them, heh? Not a warrior way to go."

Dagur only shrugged and judging by the silence of the warrior all around them they were all stunned by his response but none of the Berserkers questioned their chief, knowing better than to say differently. Dagur poked at the meat on his plate no longer hungry and wanting to rush up to the dragon pit where he had hoped Hiccup would be safe but obviously wasn't. That was cue to his followers that the celebrations were over and it was time to return to their daily duties. Dagur barely noticed when they filed out. His thoughts were all over the place, namely on Hiccup and the sudden, horrible guilt he felt at the lie about his untimely death. Yes he had dreamed of drowning the other boy, even tried it once but it was not something he ever wanted to happen to Hiccup.

He flinched as a large hand fell on his shoulder, thinking it was his uncle reminding him of some duty he'd forgotten. With a sigh he looked up and started when he came face to face with the older chief.

"You're lying, lad," Alvin said in a fatherly voice that was full of disappointment.

Dagur flinched at that and pulled away. "How dare you?" he snarled in sudden rage. He pushed his chair back so roughly that it tipped over with a loud clang. "I am the leader of the Berserkers!" He puffed out his chest and placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "I should take your head for such words."

Alvin chuckled at his antics and shoved the boy back in a seat. "Ha ha! You are like your old man! Now calm down and tell me what you really did with Stoick's little runt? Obviously you didn't kill him or the Hooligans would be raiding your island so what did you do? Throw him in the stockades? Daggle him upside down in the dragon pits or turned him into your personal slave?"

Dagur flinched at the dragon pits part but Alvin obviously thought it was due to the personal slave comment.

"Ah…you did, didn't you? Not that I blame you, he is rather feminine, no? But be that as it may he's of much better use as a dragon trainer or is that what you're truly doing? Are you creating your own dragon army?"

"No!" Dagur snapped, disgusted by the whole concept of dragons being domesticated. He pushed himself free and headed for the door, fighting back the temptation to start a fight. It was tempting, so tempting and if this was Outcast Island he would do it in a heartbeat but here… His fingers flexed itching to hold his sword and drive it through the man's chest but he didn't, he wouldn't.

Alvin seemed all to amused by his behavior. He leaned against the table and watched the tension in the youth's shoulders. "You know I knew your father, not as well as Stoick did, but well enough. Such a shame when your mother died giving birth to your sister. You were so young, you must have blamed that little girl for the longest time," he said thoughtfully as he admired his battle ax. "Your poor father though, trying to raise you both on his own and then that barmaid he made into you nanny and then stepmother, what a wretched woman she was. Never so happy to see her banished after what she tried to pull, using his status to boost her own. But then again I don't think he ever loved her, just thought you both needed a mother. I must admit Stoick was smart not trying to replace Valhallrama. Of course I don't think he lost his mind like your old man did either."

"Don't talk about my father," Dagur growled warningly, his hands balling into fists. He refused to look at the man and let him see just how upset he was. He had to stay in control. He had to hold onto his temper.

"Never would have taken Oswald as someone to like young boys but then I shouldn't point fingers." He gave Dagur's backside a leering gaze. "I honestly thought he was lying when he told me some of the stories he did."

Dagur was shaking in rage now and no longer able to control his temper he drew his sword and twisted around as he swung only to have his wrist grabbed and stopped mid swing. He glared up at the much larger man who at that moment looked far too much like his father with those same leering, challenging eyes. It brought an old fear to Dagur that made him feel small and defenseless and he knew right that moment he would never, ever allow this man near Hiccup let alone himself or any other member of his tribe. This man needed killing even if it meant war.

He inhaled sharply when Alvin pulled him a little closer and whispered in his hear. "You're just like him, you know that just as well as I do but I can work with that. We can work together…we can share Hiccup. He'll train my dragons during the day and warm your bed at night, savvy? Or we can both take turns and make him a man."

Dagur's eyes narrowed and he shoved the man back. "You're sick!" he snarled as he stormed out of the great hall, his whole body tense and screaming to kill the man now and be done with it.

Alvin only laughed at him. "I'm not the one called 'deranged'."

That nearly made Dagur explode. "Harold will finish your tour then I want you off my island," he sneered as he shoved the double doors open.

The Outcast chief only smirked. "Oh, I'm not going anywhere without my dragon trainer."

Never before did Dagur rushed to the dragon pits as fast as he did that way but he was still smart enough to take the long winding route and back track a few times to ensure no one was following him. He spotted an old man and a sheep that he couldn't quite place but knew he had seen before. He banished them from his mind in his rush to reach Hiccup and was never so happy to see that cage still tightly locked and the smaller boy inside and tending to his dragon's injuries. The dragon on the other hand jerked its head up the moment it heard Dagur but Dagur didn't care. He threw open the door and ran in.

"Come with me," he said ordered, grabbing Hiccup by the arm only to be tackled to the ground by the ebony dragon. He gave a surprised cry but didn't fight it off, half expecting it to rip his head off.

"Whoa, easy boy," Hiccup said, his hands going to the dragon's neck. "It's okay, Toothless. Dagur, relax, he's just trying to protect me. Act harmless and he'll let you up."

"Alvin's here," Dagur snarled, enraged to be threatened by the Outcast and then have this blasted beast attack him. He needed to kill something, anything and if this Toothless refused to free him he'd…

"Toothless, off," Hiccup ordered, giving the dragon a little shove. The beast gave another growl before making a strange keening noise that Hiccup imitated. Once Toothless was off Dagur, Hiccup reached down and offered his hand. "It's your own fault, you know. If you didn't attack Berk and kidnap us he wouldn't be so antsy. Didn't help that he had him stabbed twice."

"I don't have time for this," Dagur grumbled as he grabbed Hiccup's hand and tried to drag him out of the cage only to have Toothless bound in front of them and block their exit. "Out of my way."

"He's not going to let you separate us. Dragon's don't like cages."

Dagur threw up his hands in frustration. "For crying out loud he's a dragon. He'll do as I say." He glared at the Nightfury and pointed to the ground. "Stay."

Toothless tilted his head and stared at him in confusion before glancing at Hiccup who was grinning behind the much larger boy. Then he flicked his tail, knocking the Berserker out of his way and went to his rider without a care for the silly chief.

Hiccup only shrugged and petted his friend. "Dragons do what they want. If you want him to respect you then you have to respect him. Now what's this about Alvin?"

With a grunt Dagur fixed his helmet and got to his feet. "Stupid dragon…yeah, Alvin's here for you."

"Great, you _are_ working with the Outcasts. So what, you planning to hand us over to him because you know the moment you do he'll just betray you and…"

Dagur slapped his forehead in annoyance. "Do you ever shut up?"

Toothless growled warningly and Dagur growled back in annoyance.

"No, I'm not working with the Outcasts and I sure as hell ain't handing you over to him, I'd destroy every last Outcast before I do that." He ran his hand down his face. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I have no idea how he found out you're here but if we don't move fast he'll call on his whole armada to try and take you."

Hiccup raised a suspicious brow. "So what are you planning?"

Dagur paused not really sure what to do but he remembered what Harold had suggested and decided to go with it. He glared back at the long, deep cave that served as a cage. It was pitch black near the end and no amount of light could penetrate it. "Could it use the darkness to hide in?" he asked, noting Toothless's dark scales and hoping they weren't darker than the shadowed darkness of the cave.

Toothless looked to Hiccup who sighed and nodded before gesturing for him to go back in and hide. "Sorry, bud, but if Alvin finds you…you know what he'll do."

The dragon hung his head and whined.

"I know but just until nightfall, okay? I promise, I won't leave you in there any longer than necessary," Hiccup promised, hugging him.

Dagur was surprised by this and stepped out of the way as the dragon lumbered past and all the way to the back of the cave, then he leapt against the wall and bounced onto the ceiling where he drew his wings over him like a giant bat and settled into the darkness. Dagur and Hiccup could barely see him which was good and with the sun now moving behind the mountain the shadows were sure to block him out completely. Dagur locked the cage and threw a chain around the lock for extra protection, although he wasn't sure if he was protecting the dragon or his people but either way Hiccup seemed relieved by the extra protection for his friend.

Once the cage was secured Dagur removed his helmet and placed it on Hiccup's head and then strapped his sword to the other boy's back. He tisked at the fake leg but for now this was the best he could do to alter Hiccup's appearance enough that no one would recognize him at first glance but that leg was a dead giveaway. This would have to do until they got to Harold's house.

"Can you make the trek back to the village?" Dagur asked when there was nothing else he could do.

The young heir pushed the oversized helmet back up on his head. "Yeah, but Alvin's men won't be fooled by this."

"It's just until we get to my uncle's. We can do a quick make over once we get there."

"Oh yay…Snotlout's been trying to give me a makeover since I was born," Hiccup grumbled but he followed the older boy nonetheless. It wasn't as if he had much of a choice, stay close to Dagur or have Alvin try and take him again and he knew the Outcast leader would not be so easy with him this time. This time if he didn't do as Alvin wanted he was sure to face something far worse than angry dragons or fearsome Vikings.

He stumbled a number of times in his rush to get back to the village and across it without being scene to Dagur's uncle's home but Dagur helped him. A few times he could have sworn he saw a familiar old man in the woods and he would pause to see if it was indeed who he thought it was only for the man to disappear. Shaking his head he focused on the task at hand and was never so happy to reach their destination. But by that time Alvin and his men filled the village on their "tour", all of them searching for Hiccup and not afraid to go house to house now that Dagur "had taken a fit and was hiding a home", as one Outcast boasted to a disgruntle Berserker a few houses down from Harold's.

Dagur sneered in anger and would have taken the man's head but instead he hurried Hiccup to Harold's. There he fetched some of his younger cousin's clothing and shoved them into Hiccup's arms. "Put theses on quickly while I find you some boots," he instructed as he searched for a spare pair of boots for the other boy, that he made Hiccup wear over his prosthetic. They had to stuff the boot with fabric to make it fit around the metal foot and then tie it tightly to keep it from slipping off but it worked after a fashion. After that he strapped a number of weapons to Hiccup, a pair of bracers and shoulder guards until he felt as if Hiccup looked absolutely different. He studied the other boy for a long time before removing the helmet and placing it aside. Then, grabbing a fist full of soot from the cooled hearth he spread it through Hiccup's hair, darkening it to near black and then rubbed some onto his skin and making it look as if Hiccup had the start of facial hair. From the distance no one would recognize him and with luck would think twice about the young warrior-to-be. If only there was a way to make Hiccup look taller and muscular but it would have to do for now.

Hiccup wasn't so sure about all this but wasn't given much of a choice as a pounding at the door drew their attention. They looked at one another before heading down the stairs. Dagur gestured for Hiccup to stay back as he threw open the door and nearly cried out for joy when he saw his uncle ahead of the Outcasts in order to give them a heads up. He looked from his nephew to the Hooligan heir in disguise and gave an approving nod before stepping inside and wrapping an arm around the small boy's shoulders.

"Victor! Welcome home, my son," he said cheerfully, giving Hiccup a wink and motioning for Dagur to go outside and show his people he was their leader and not some coward the Outcasts were claiming him to be. "Stay next to me, boy, if you value your life and that of your dragon's. Alvin has dark things planned for you and you mean far too much to Dagur to allow anything bad to happen to."

Hiccup only nodded, still a little out of sorts by what was happening. He stayed next to Harold and played the role of obedient son to the best of his nature and tried to stay as unnoticeable as possible. It would prove far more challenging than training dragons.


	6. Chapter 6

Brothers 6

Dagur left Hiccup in Harold's care as he stepped out to face the Outcasts, his temper burning far brighter than ever before. He shoved the much larger men out of his way as if they were nothing but rowdy children causing havoc in the town center. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded as he stormed toward Alvin. "How dare you harass my people and barge into their homes?"

Alvin raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. "We mean no offense Dagur but one of my men spotted the Dragon Trainer in the village. I simply didn't want him to lead a raid upon your people. He may be young but he's very cunning and his dragons could already be surrounding the village."

That sent a murmur through the villagers as looked at one another wondering if the Dragon Trainer could really do that. Dagur glanced at his people and frowned, not liking the way they were getting riled up over something that was pure nonsense. His eyes met Hiccup's and saw the denial and fear in them. He was terrified Dagur might believe Alvin but Dagur knew better, he knew Hiccup would never do such a thing. Hiccup simply wasn't that type of person but Alvin was. The Outcast wouldn't think twice before destroying the entire village to get what he wanted.

"Bah! You make it sound as if the Dragon Trainer is some fierce warrior not the small teenager he is. Perhaps he has tricked you one time too many, old man, but I know Hiccup and while he may be cunning he would not endanger innocent men, women and children. And even if he were to I'd rather take my chances with the likes of him over someone like you," the young chief declared, his voice booming loudly so that the entire village could hear his words. "Berserk has nothing to fear from our sister tribe on Berk, not their Dragon Trainer or their chief. You on the other hand you have raided or shores and threatened our people. You, Alvin and your miscreants are not welcomed on Berserk any longer."

Alvin's eyes narrowed and he reached for his sword. "And you think Stoick will give you a quarter after kidnapping his boy," he challenged, his voice low and dangerous. "Do you think he's sitting on Berk just waiting for you to give the runt back? No, child, he's forming his army and their ships will be at your shores any time. Without us you'll have no chance against him and he's not going to be so understanding."

"I'll take my chances," Dagur sneered, his voice just as low and deadly. "Now get off my island before I have each of you beheaded and hang your rotting corpses as warning to any who think to raid our shores." He nodded toward this men who moved forward, weapons drawn and begun corralling the Outcasts.

Alvin was not impressed and rather than turning to leave his dark gaze moved over the crowd until he spotted Mildew. The old man caught his eyes and gestured toward Harold and some boy standing next to him. Alvin looked past them and searched the crowd some more, hoping to spot Hiccup and make a grab for him but the boy was nowhere to be seen. Looking back to Mildew he frowned but the old man again gestured toward Harold and the boy. Alvin's frown grew but he decided maybe there was something to the wild gestures and sauntered up to Harold much to Dagur's rage.

"I said to leave," Dagur growled, unsheathing his sword as two warriors flanked him.

Alvin ignored him. "Harold, who might this strapping young lad be?" he asked as he neared Dagur's second-in-command. "Surely this isn't your boy."

He searched the boy's face but the youth looked away, the oversize helmet obscuring his features but his hair was far too dark to be Hiccup's but the built screamed out Hiccup, well almost. This boy had two properly functioning legs and did not appear to be a cripple.

"Yes," Harold answered, an arm going protective around his son. "He just returned from Flashburn's School of Sword Fighting. Made me very proud. Not quite a master yet but showed great talent."

Alvin gave a nod. The boy didn't look like much but he had learned recently the looks could be very deceiving. "What's your name, boy?"

The child glanced at him quickly and went to open his mouth but before he could utter a word Harold answered for him. "Victor. The poor lad lost his voice box to a Monstrous Nightmare. Can speak a word, ain't that right, Victor?"

The boy looked at his father with far too large eyes and complete surprise before nodding and touching his throat with a small apologetic smile and shrug.

Alvin's eyes narrowed, not convinced. He again studied the boy's face, noting similarities to Hiccup's features. He was about the right age. Perhaps this was some sort of trick or maybe the boy really was Harold's, after all the two boy's would be close in age and have many of the same features. Straightening back he shrugged it off. "He has your sister's eyes," he finally stated as Dagur and his men surrounded him. "I'm sure Vahallarama would have loved for him and her son to have met, they look so much alike. Of course your boy must be a much more formable warrior than Hiccup. Have you ever met Hiccup, Victor?" A slow grin spread across his face at the wide eyes and questioning look the boy was giving Harold and he knew right then and there he had just caught them in their lie. This boy wasn't Victor, he was Hiccup dressed up to look like a cousin he didn't even know he had. Oh this was priceless and he could use it to his advantage. He now knew where Dagur was hiding the boy and could take him at any time. Still, he had to make certain. "Don't tell me your father never told you about your cousin? Such a shame but I suppose it's to be expected. Hiccup is the runt of his tribe, much smaller than you although I'm sure you're about the same age. You two could nearly pass as brothers. Well I wish you luck with your training. With luck you'll reach goldmaster."

The boy's brows knotted and he glanced from Harold to Alvin, his eyes thoughtful and full of emotion before he looked away from both men, not once uttering a word or sound. Alvin was nearly disappointed but he waved to his men and begun trudging back to the boats. He may not have the Dragon Trainer in his custody just yet but he had stirred the pot and if anything the boy would be full of questions that he no doubt won't like the answers to and with any luck destroy what little trust he had in Dagur.

. . .

Dagur watched as his warriors escorted the Outcasts back to the pier happy to see them go. He waited until they were at the bottom of the hill before hurrying to Hiccup who looked shell shocked by Alvin's words. The smaller boy looked up at him with those bright green eyes so full of questions and the smaller hint of tears. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He shook his head and turned his back to Dagur, instead marching into Harold's house. Dagur and Harold quickly followed him, startled by the sudden anger in the smaller boy.

Hiccup took of the helmet and threw on a nearby table before placing both hands on the splintered wood and leaned against it, his head bowed and a mix of anger and sorrow on his face. "My mother is your sister?" he asked Harold, glancing up at the tall Viking.

"Sister-in-law," Harold corrected. "She is my wife's sister."

It was like a blow to Hiccup, as if someone had just punched him in the gut. "My mother was a Berserker?"

"Yes."

Hiccup took a deep breath and nodded to himself as if that made perfect sense. "And my father knew this."

"Of course, it was part of the treaty when your father became chief to ensure peace between our tribes," Harold explained, placing a hand on the boy's back as Hiccup fought to control his breathing. "We still have the yearly signing but that is merely a formality."

"Hey," Dagur yelled in annoyance. "You mean I don't really have to sign that stupid thing every year?"

Harold gave his nephew a pointed look. "Yes, because Stoick wants it that way in order to remind both tribes that we all have certain obligations to one another. Now hush."

Dagur folded his arms across his chest and gave a pout. "That's not how my father explained it."

Harold rolled his eyes in bemusement. Of course Oswald had never explained anything behind the treaty to Dagur because the boy was far too high stung to understand such things. He had been the one trying to teach the youth about treaties and forming allies. The boy liked chaos far too much. Turning his attention back to Hiccup he leaned his hip against the table and stood next to him. "Look, I know this is a lot to comprehend and the news didn't come as it should have but…you're one of us."

Hiccup was shaking his head in denial. "I…I need some air," he breathed as he pushed away from the table. He hesitated for a moment, staring at the helmet on the table before taking a deep breath and running out the door.

Dagur moved to go after him but Harold grabbed his shoulder. "Give him a moment. It's a lot to for him to process. If you thought learning Berk was training dragons was shocking it's nothing compared to learning you have family you've never met."

The young Berserker shrugged him off. "That's all good but we've got Outcasts on the island who would give anything to get their hands on him," he growled as he made a break for the door. He needed to get to Hiccup before one of Alvin's men did.

. . .

Hiccup's thoughts were a whirlwind as he ran as fast as he could to the woods, needing a break away from Dagur and the situation at his uncle's house. His heart pounded a mile a minute and he felt dizzy as he tried to make sense of it all. His mother was a Berserker? He had family on Berserk, an aunt, uncle and cousin who looked a lot like him? It made it hard to think and all he knew for sure was that he had to get back to Toothless. He needed some sub-balance of normalcy. Running his hands through his hair he tried taking a deep breath. No, he couldn't go to Toothless, Alvin's men were sure to notice a big black dragon roaming Berserk and the last thing he wanted was to endanger his best friend. Still, he couldn't stay in the village, he needing to think and plan and figure out how to get off this island and then talk to his father and find out the truth because it had to be a lie. Harold had to be lying in order to get him to agree to whatever plan Dagur was concocting and…

"Hmph! Ow…" he grumbled when he ran head first into someone. He pushed off of the elderly man he had knocked over. "Sorry, I didn't see you…Mildew?"

The old Hooligan looked at him with wide pale eyes as he sat back to catch his breath. His mouth opened and closed like a fish trapped on a hook. He blinked and then schooled his face and tilted his head to one side as if to study the strange boy who had knocked him down. Then a smile slowly curved his lips and his eyes brightened. "Hiccup? What are you doing here, lad? What have you done to yourself?"

Hiccup ran his hands through his soot covered hair again. "It's a long story. How did you… Are you here with the Outcasts?" He got to his feet and stepped back, suspicious after the old Viking's last betrayal. He looked around, half expecting to see Alvin or Savage come out from behind the trees but there was no one there.

"No, boy, no," Mildew said quickly, clinging to his staff as he struggled to his feet. "I managed to escape and stow away in one of their ships. Come, come. There's a ship on the other side of the island that we can escape on. I heard Alvin say the Berserkers had you. If we hurry we can steal it and go home to Berk." He grabbed Hiccup's wrist and began tugging him toward the shore and away from the dragon pits.

Hiccup pulled back but those bony fingers dug in and were surprisingly firm for such a withered old man. "Mildew, wait. I need to get Toothless."

"Forget the dragon. Once we're on Berk you can have your friends help rescue him. Hurry, we don't have much time."

"Stop, Mildew, stop."

Sharp nails dug into his wrists as the old Viking tugged and pulled, managing to get more than a dozen feet before Hiccup did something he never thought he would have to do to the old man. He pulled free the sword strapped to his back with one hand while tugging with the other as hard as he could and pulled Mildew back to him then brought the sword to his throat. "Enough!" he said sharply, hiding his pain behind his anger. "Let me go."

Mildew dropped his arm and slowly turned to face the Hope and Heir of their people. His pale eyes studied the blade held to his throat before meeting Hiccup's eyes with a coldness that sent chills down Hiccup's spine. "What are you going to do, boy? Kill me in cold blood?"

Hiccup's face hardened as he met those cold pale eyes. "You didn't escape the Outcasts, you became one of them."

"Is that so?" Mildew challenged with a patronizing smile. "And why would you say that, Hiccup?"

"Cause Alvin wouldn't be fool enough to leave you unguarded. You betrayed me to him before why wouldn't you do it again?"

The old man refused to answer but the glint in his eyes said it all, Mildew had turned against his own people all because he didn't want dragons on Berk.

"Why?" he asked, unable to help himself.

"Because, you don't deserve to be chieftain. Your father should have drowned you when you were born like all the other runts," Mildew said, his voice full of venom and cruelty.

Hiccup inhaled sharply. He'd heard the stories of how, once upon a time, Vikings would send the smallest and weakest babies out on rafts or drown them simply because they were believed to be bad omens and not fit to be warriors. They were seen as bothersome creatures who would serve no purpose other than eternal burdens to their parents. "Those traditions died long ago," he said, fighting to keep his voice steady.

Mildew's eyes narrowed. "They died because of you…because your parents who tried so hard and for so long to have a child couldn't bear to send you adrift like all the other runts. No, your daddy couldn't break your mother's heart by letting you drown or be fed to the sharks so they hid you and waited until you were several months old before presenting you before the village, pretending you were a new born. Oh yes, Hiccup, you were never meant to lead our people. Every bad omen seen the night of your birth you've fulfilled. You've made a mockery of our culture and traditions."

"You're lying."

"Am I? Think about it, boy. Your own father looked down on you after your mother left, did he not? He stuffed you with Gobber rather than train you to fight. If it weren't for that Nightfury you'd still be laboring away night and day in the forge rather than soaring the skies free as a bird and now look what you've done, you've inspired Alvin to do the same but Alvin doesn't want them as pets, he wants them as weapons. What's next? You going to train the Berserkers to fly dragons? You going to give them that power and take the war to the skies?"

The boy stared at him with wide eyes, his hand no longer steady on the sword. "No… I…I never intended that."

Mildew snorted. "All good intentions come at a price, lad. Yours came at the cost of everything Vikings stood for."

Hiccup shook his head in denial but he couldn't help but wonder just how much his friendship with Toothless might have cost their people. "I was trying to make things better for us and the dragons."

"All good intentions…" Mildew repeated.

Hiccup continued shaking his head, his mind going numb. It was as if everything was crashing down on him and it was becoming increasingly hard to focus. He took a deep breath and tried to steady his arm but Mildew knew an opening when he saw it and faster than a man his age should move he twirled his staff and slammed the pointed edge into Hiccup's bad leg the swept it out from under the youth, knocking him to the ground.

"Sorry, Hiccup, but as much as this may pain me it's time I finished what your father could not." He raised the staff over his head, the sharp pointed curve aimed toward Hiccup's head and swung.

Hiccup raised his arms to cover his head and protect himself but the blow never landed. He heard a war cry and saw a blur of brown and grey and a moment later Mildew cry out. There was a series of thumps, the sound of flesh hitting flesh and the unmistakable sound of bone breaking and a blood curdling scream. Scrambling to his hands and knees Hiccup gazed in horror as Dagur straddled Mildew's hips and pounded the old man into the ground with his bare fists. He couldn't make out the older boy's words or curses over the sickening sound of his fists hitting the elderly man but he could see the murderous intent and if he didn't act fast Mildew would be beaten to death. It didn't even occur to Hiccup that only moments earlier that was exactly what Mildew had intended to do to him he just tackled Dagur and fought as best he could until the older boy had him pinned to the ground with a fist raised to strike him.

"Dagur!" he yelled just as the fist went to descend on his face. It stopped just an inch from his nose.

The Berserker leader frozen and stared down at him, his green eyes nearly as wide as Hiccup's as he realized what he had been about to do. "What do you think you're doing, meathead? I could've killed you!"

"Yeah, well I think he would've have been all too happy if you did," Hiccup shot back as he gestured toward the unconscious old warrior sprawled out on the ground next to them. Slowly, he sat up and leaned on his elbows, taking deep cleansing breathes. "If Mildew's here than there's more of Alvin's men hiding in the woods. We need to keep everyone in the village and organize the warriors."

Dagur glared down at him. "I know how to lead my people," he growled as he stood. He offered his hand to help Hiccup up.

"Yeah, well you've never fought Alvin. We need Toothless," the younger boy said, turning toward the dragon pit.

The Berserker chief grabbed his arm and stopped him. "No, first we need to secure the old man before Alvin figures out his spy have gone missing and then _I'll_ get your dragon. If they see both of us your cover is blown but if they see me going up there they simply think I've gone to take my temper out on some poor nameless dragon."

Hiccup hated to admit it but Dagur was right. He only hoped Toothless would let Dagur near him without causing too much of a fuss. Reluctantly he gave Dagur a nod and together they hauled Mildew back to the village and locked him in Harold's cellar, bound and gag with no chance of escape.

. . .

Stoick was livid as he listened to his council debate on their next move. Hiccup had been gone less than twenty-four hours but it might as well have been days. The teens that were part of the Flight Club had been banded from the Great Hall as the council debated but so far no firm plan was set and Stoick was losing his patience. "This is my son that has been taken," he reminded the seven men and women around the table. "The Hope and Heir of this tribe, we cannot leave him in Dagur's hands."

"And how to you pose we retrieve him without bringing about another war?" asked one councilwoman. "Dagur obviously sees our dragons as a threat. If we send our riders he may view that as an attack."

The same thing had been passed around for hours with no conclusion as to what to do and Stoick was quickly losing his patience. "Dagur is a boy, a mere child trying to fill shoes far too big for him. He will not see reason no matter how diplomatic we are. It will take a firm hand to make him realize we are not his enemies however if we don't act quickly he may kill Hiccup and try to take Berk. I am not willing to wait until his armada is at our shores once more."

"We understand your concern, Stoick but how many of our warriors are you prepared to risk for one boy?" Spitelout asked as he leaned his elbows on the table. "We still have an heir should Dagur kill Hiccup, one far stronger and ready to take charge should the need arise."

Stoick fumed and glared at his brother in utter hatred. Leave it to Spitelout to bring everyone attention back to the fact that his son was next in line after Hiccup. His large hands curled into fists, ready to strike the smug look from his brother's face but was stopped when the door to the Great Hall were shoved open and the dragon riders burst in, led by Spitelout's boy.

"No!" Snotlout yelled at his father. "Hiccup's been gone too long. He would never leave any of us behind and I'm not about to leave him to that that whack job, Dagur. I'll stand next to you, Stoick. Just give the word and Hookfang and I will charge Berserk."

"We all will," Astrid threw in. All the young riders nodded in agreement.

Spitelout looked appalled and turned to Stoick with pleading eyes. Stoick's lips twitched but he reframed from smiling. "Aye, but we'll do this the…diplomatic way," he said with a nod to the council. He wrapped an arm around his nephew's shoulder as he led the kids from the hall. "Alright kids, now this is what I want you to do. We don't want the Berserkers to see our dragons coming so Astrid, I want you leading the kids by the air. Keep to the clouds. I will signal you when I'm in position."

"Hey, I thought I was leading," Snotlout objected.

"Snotlout, I need you to take charge of Thornado for me. He can be a brute and needs a firm hand. I trust you can do that for me," Stoick answered. It was just a little thing but it made Snotlout puff out his chest importantly and grin at Fishlegs self-importantly. "Fishlegs, you're with me," he continued, catching the large boy off guard.

"M…me, sir?" the boy stuttered, looking to Snotlout and suddenly wanting to switch places and babysit the temperamental Thornado.

"Yes. Once we're in place you'll relay my orders to the others. You do remember all the signals?"

Fishlegs nodded. "Yes…yes, sir."

Stoick gave a nod. It was not the army he wanted to invade Berserk but it was the best he had. He and Fishlegs hurried to his flag ship. There wasn't a moment to lose. The chief did a double take when he reached his boat though. There, with sails already set and single handedly pulling up the anchor was Gobber and more than a dozen of Berk's finest warriors.

"Well what you waiting for?" asked the blacksmith as he waved to Stoick. "Get yourself aboard. Our boy can't wait forever you know."

A smile spread across Stoick's face. Screw the council. He would always have an army at hand, with or without their blessing. He gave Gobber a nod. "Let's find Hiccup," he yelled to his men who echoed his bellow which was again echoed by the young warriors-to-be and their dragons. Yes, his army may be small but they were fierce and willing to lay down their lives to protect one of their own and for that he would forever be proud.


	7. Chapter 7

Brothers 7

Hiccup was at a loss for words as he watched as he watched Dagur secure the cellar door and then throw bear rug over it. Mildew had betrayed him yet again. He shouldn't have been surprised yet here he was leaning against a hearth feeling utterly small and powerless and far too young to be dealing with all this. His mind was still a muddled mess and having trouble processing everything and all he wanted was to go home, curl up on his bed or next to Toothless and forget everything. He hugged himself, retreating into his mind to try and come up with possible answers for why his father would hide his mother's origins or if Harold was lying to him to gain his trust; if what Mildew said about him was true and if he really was a curse on his tribe as he had grown up believing until he had finally proved himself; and lastly, if Harold was telling the truth then was he within his right to learn more about his mother's family and maybe form a bond with them? So many questions yet no answers…at least none he could trust until he spoke to his father or was offered some form of proof.

"Hiccup?"

He didn't respond to the voice calling his name even though some part of him yelled that it was bad to ignore that voice, that it often meant pain or a sharp weapon being thorn at his head. Nonetheless he hugged himself tighter and simply tried to think. He didn't even flinch when a dagger whizzed past his head and embedded into the wall only millimeters from his right ear or when a second did the same next to his left ear. He had no fear of Dagur truly hurting him, not like he used to, there was no reason to. He was almost certain that if Dagur meant to hurt him he wouldn't be throwing knives at him but straggling him with his bare hands or something of the sort. So rather than worrying about what the deranged Berserker might do to him he focused on the mess in his head until it turned to a distant memory of the last time he saw his mother, when he was still very small and very afraid of the world around him. She had left on her quest in the middle of the night while he was asleep but during the day she had held him and played with him, telling him how much she loved him and how proud she was and that one day he would be the bravest of the brave. And before he fell asleep that night she had kissed his brow and made him promise to look after his father, that despite how strong and brave Stoick was he would need Hiccup there to keep him strong and remind him just how much he was loved. Then she was gone. No explanations, no letters, nothing. Why? Was she really on a quest? Did she die? Did she leave Berk because of him?

"Oh no! No, no, no… Hiccup, snap out of it," Dagur said, ducking below Hiccup to meet his gaze. His eyes widened when he saw the shimmer of tears in the younger boy's eyes. Crying was not something he could handle. He'd had to deal with it with his little sister and the times he had to give bad news to his warriors' families and Hiccup when he was little but Hiccup wasn't little anymore, he was the Dragon Conqueror for crying out loud. What to do? How did he deal with an upset youth who just had his world crash around his ears? There was the dragon and he had every intention of getting it for the boy but he had to wait until nightfall. Okay, okay… He could punch Hiccup and maybe getting him to tussle with him, a good fight never hurt anyone…well not much. But then again Hiccup wasn't the tussling type so he did something he would only do with his sister and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, drawing him into a hug.

Hiccup blinked in surprise at the larger body wrapping around him. At first he stayed stiff, unsure what to do and not feeling quite right in Dagur's arms but as the seconds passed and he realized the embrace wasn't some ploy or trick and that it was not meant to cause harm or fright he slowly relaxed into it and wrapped his arms loosely around the older boy.

"It's going to be alright, Hiccup," Dagur promised, his head resting against Hiccup's. "I'm going to make it alright, brother."

Hiccup stiffened again, not sure how to respond to the whole "brother" thing Dagur kept going on about. He went to pull away but Dagur's grip only tightened and the amount of time lengthen until it was uncomfortable. His saving grace came in the form of a bouncing nine year old girl.

"Dagur!" the child squealed as she ran at the young chief at full force.

Dagur dropped Hiccup and spun on his heel, scooped up the little girl and twirled her around with the biggest, happiest smile Hiccup had ever seen on his face. "Cora!" he laughed, lifting her above his head.

She stuck her arms out as if she was flying before hugging him tightly as she giggled. "Uncle Harry said you were home. Why didn't you come to the camp last night? It rained all night! We had to camp in one of the old caves and I heard a dragon's roar. ROOOAARRRR!" she yelled, imitating a dragon's roar which oddly sounded like Toothless to Hiccup. He smiled gently at the girl, instantly recognizing her as Dagur's little sister although he hadn't seen her since she was five.

"Really?" asked Dagur with a bright smile and adoring eyes. "And what type of dragon might that have been, monster?"

"I'm not a monster," she reprimanded which only made Dagur smile wider. Then she lowered her voice as if telling him the greatest secret ever. "Uncle Harry says it was a Nightfury and that you caught it last night. Did you? Can I see it? You're not going to kill it are you?"

Dagur rolled his eyes. "You're as bad as that lug over there. Fine, you can have a wing."

"Dagur!" she growled in a voice surprisingly aggressive like her brother's as she punched his shoulder. "You're not killing it. I want to keep it."

"See what I'm dealing with?" Dagur asked Hiccup, sounding utterly put out upon and annoyed even though that smile never left his eyes. "Here I am the great leader of the Berserkers but do I get what I want? Do I get to have a glorious helmet made from a Nightfury's skull and I have to deal with you two wanting to keep it as a pet? What am I to do with the two of you?"

"Pleeeaaassseee?" Cora asked, batting her eye lashes and pouring on the cuteness.

Hiccup was impressed. Dagur placed her back on the floor and backed away as if suddenly terrified by someone so tiny. "Oh no…not that, Cora. Not the cuteness. Please, anything but that."

She bounded forward with the sweetest smile but it was her green eyes that caught Hiccup off guard, they held a power over Dagur that made the fierce and usually deranged boy bend over backwards for her. "Please, Dag. Please, for me? I love you. I'll do you chores for a week."

"A week, huh?"

"A month?"

"You don't want to clean the house, I promise you that."

"I will…I'll do it. Pleeeaase!"

Dagur only laughed and glanced to Hiccup again. "You sure she's not your sister? Oh, alright. I won't kill the beast but…you can't keep it. Hiccup called dibs first."

She froze, disappointment marring her pretty face before it brightened once more and she turned her attention to the young Hooligan. "Hiccup? Hiccup!"

Before Hiccup knew what was happening she launched herself at him and his arms were filled with the energetic redhead. "Uh, Cora, hi," he yelped as he tried to adjust her weight so he could hold her comfortably. She may only be nine but she was solid just like her brother.

"Is it true? Are you the Dragon Conqueror? Do you ride a Nightfury? How did you do it? Can you teach me? Can I ride it? Is it a girl or boy? Why are you wearing Shorty's clothes?" The questions came in rapid fire and Hiccup had a hard time catching it all.

He glanced over the girl's head to Dagur who only smirked and poured himself a mug of mead then raised it in salute. Hiccup narrowed his eyes at the other boy as he maneuvered himself into the nearest chair. He sat back and arranged the girl in his lap. "Yes, Toothless is mine. He's my best friend and maybe, if he's up to it, I take you for a little ride. _If_ Dagur's okay with it."

"Dagur!" she whined, giving her brother pleading eyes.

Dagur pretended not to hear her and sipped on her drink.

"Dagur!" Her voice grew in volume and when he still didn't answer she jumped off Hiccup's lap and stormed to him looking every bit like a small storm stalking him, her bright red hair wild around her small shoulders. She stomped on his foot. "Dagur, don't ignore me. Aunty says it's rude."

Her brother gave a grunt and then sighed. "We'll see. We have problems with the Outcasts right now. If you finish all our chores tomorrow then maybe."

Her mouth fell open. "Our chores? But the dragon's not even yours. He's Hiccup's and you can't make me do your chores if he's not yours."

"I'm your chieftain," he reminded her.

She threw up a hand dismissively. "Bah! You're my brother before my chief and I'm not cleaning your room just because you're a slob."

"You will to," Dagur said, looking as if he might throw an ax at her.

Hiccup moved to stand but before he could get to his feet Cora did something he never would have dreamed doing to Dagur. She tattled.

"AUNTY!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

From somewhere deeper in the house a woman's voice called back. "Dagur, stop picking on your sister. Don't you have a meeting at the Great Hall tonight?"

"You are so dead," Dagur growled under his breath but Cora only smiled sweetly. "Yes, Aunt Raya. I'll go get Toothless first and then organize an attack on the Outcast ships." He narrowed his eyes at his sister. "And he can eat you for dinner. I hear Nightfury's like juicy little girls with bright red hair."

She returned his glare with a brave face. Dagur shot Hiccup a grin before heading for the door. The moment if shut behind him Cora turned to Hiccup with large frightened eyes. "He's joking, right?"

Hiccup smiled reassuringly. "Of course he is. Toothless would never hurt you. He likes fish not people."

She gave a sigh of relief before jumping as her aunt called her name. He gave him a wave before dashing into another room. He watched her leave, tempted to follow her and meet the woman who was supposedly his mother's sister. But fear held him back and rather than investigate he sat back and pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them. No, he wasn't ready to meet her yet and she obviously wasn't ready to meet him otherwise why would she stay in the other room. Surely she knew he was there and who he was. Closing his eyes he rested his head on his knees. He'd rather face Red Death all over again than walk into that room right now. What if she wanted nothing to do with him or worse…looked just like his mother? He couldn't bear either thought and decided to stay as far away from the woman as possible.

. . .

As dusk fell Alvin gathered a half dozen of his best men and quietly lowered into the water on the side of his ship that faced away from Berserk Island. Mildew had yet to return which meant one of two things; the old man was discovered and killed or captured. He didn't really care but he needed the old Hooligan to point out Hiccup if the boy changed disguises once again. For whatever reason, Mildew seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to the heir of Berk. If anyone could track the boy down it would be him. At least Alvin knew where to begin his search. No doubt Harold still had Hiccup but not for much longer. No, soon Hiccup would be his and every last secret would be extracted from the boy, be it training dragons or Berk's defenses and Alvin was no longer afraid to go to extremes to get what he wanted.

. . .

Dagur stayed to the shadows as he hurried up to Toothless's cage, a sack of freshly caught fresh on his back. He couldn't believe he was doing this, taking food to a blasted dragon rather than killing it but this dragon was different from any he had ever seen before. It seemed intelligent and extremely protective of Hiccup. Even the way it acted, playful and cat like when Hiccup was with him. It was obvious that Hiccup loved the beast which meant to protect Hiccup and ensure the future of their tribes he had to keep the beast alive. And to think less than twenty-four hours ago he was willing to kill this Toothless in order to make Hiccup see reason.

He paused just outside the cage, his hand on the thick bars. What was he doing? This animal should be killed and blood harvested for treaty signings not treated like some glorified pet. His fingers curled around the bar and he tried to summon that anger and outrage he had only a day before but it came out as a tired sigh. He was losing his touch. Stupid Hiccup and his stupid dragon.

Unlocking the cage he swung open the door and strolled inside. "Alright, beast, time to go." There was no movement in the far corner. Sighing, he threw the sack of fish toward the darkness beyond. "Come on…Toothless, I don't have time for this. Hiccup says you're real smart so listen up. The Outcasts are here. They're after Hiccup. Do you under…stand? HEY!"

A black blur bounded over him, knocking him off his feet and out of the cage without stopping for the fish. Dagur didn't know what hit him. One moment he was standing the next the Nightfury had him by the scruff and was throwing him over its head and onto its back and all Dagur could do was hold on for dear life as they bounded down the hillside.

. . .

All the emotions Hiccup felt finally boiled over. He had so many questions that bubbled within him but he was still far too frightened to face the woman in the other room. He stared at the bear rug that hid the cellar door. There was one person who had not only known him all his life but his father and mother as well and while he didn't trust the man he was the only one who might hold some answers…even if they were answers he might not want to hear. He hesitated, chewing his lower lip as he debated whether or not to go down there until finally he stood and padded across the floor. He paused again as he stared at the rug and then, taking a deep breath, he pulled it aside to reveal the door in the wooden floor.

Closing his eyes he took another deep cleansing breath then unlatched the door and pulled it open. He paused, half expecting Dagur's aunt to rush into the room and stop him but when she didn't he turned his focus to the dark room below him. It took only a moment to fetch a torch and then he descended the steep steps. He didn't have far to go, only a dozen steps but it felt like dropping into a deep dark pit and he couldn't stop the shudder that ran up his spine.

There, tied to a chair, sat Mildew. The old Hooligan winced at the bright torch light and tried to see past it to whoever was visiting him. He made a muffled sound that didn't make it past the gag and then his eyes widen slightly when he recognized Hiccup.

The youth squared his shoulders and took a page from his father's book when it came to dealing with the old man. He puffed out his chest and straightened his back until he was to his full height, which wasn't very impressive unless standing on a few steps and having someone tied down to a chair but if Dagur could do it – who was still half a foot shorter than most of his warriors but still growing – then he can as well. He put on his most commanding voice, one he hoped wouldn't crack with the fear he felt deep inside and spoke.

"You're going to tell me everything you know about my mother. Where she came from, who her parents were and why she left without lying and playing any of your tricks," he demanded, proud of himself for not stuttering or losing his voice. When the man only stared at him he frowned and unsheathed the sword on his back. With his free hand he yanked the gag out of Mildew's mouth. "Tell me or there won't be enough pieces left of you to feed a Terrible Terror. Why was my heritage kept a secret from me?"

Mildew stared at him for a long time before frowning. "Did you think you were the first Viking to tame a dragon?" His eyes narrowed. "You are your mother's son."


	8. Chapter 8

Brothers 8

Hiccup gaped at Mildew. He wasn't the first dragon tamer, there were others? He almost felt ecstatic by the news. Maybe there were other he could learn from rather than relying on Bork's Book of Dragons that unfortunately wasn't overly in depth at least in the positive department. Perhaps he could find these other tamers and… "Wait, are you saying my mother was a dragon trainer?" he asked Mildew, suspicious of the old man's words.

Mildew's eyes were as cold as ever. "Your mother never left on a 'quest' she was forced to leave…by your father because of her love for the beasts."

"My mother was a great warrior and hero. My father would never have forced her to leave."

"Believe what you want, boy, but the only reason your father didn't exile you is because you're all he had left, his precious heir. He must have been so heartbroken when he realized just how much you're like your mother," Mildew continued with the hint of a tiny grin. "That's all that ever saved you, Hiccup. If you were anyone else he would have killed you when you befriended that dragon or sent you to the Outcasts."

Hiccup took a shaky breath and fought hard not to show any emotion toward the hate filled words. He shoved the gag back in Mildew's mouth and turned on his heel, ready to leave. He paused on the second step and glanced over his shoulder at the old man. "By the way, Harold's wife is making lamb stew and mutton for dinner, should I get Dagur to bring you some?" He saw the panic in Mildew's eyes and it made him smile. "They wanted me to thank you for providing such a meaty and well cared for sheep."

The old Hooligan began struggling and thrashing about in the chair. Hiccup turned back to him and pulled out the gag. "What was that?"

"You insufferable whelp! Give me my Fergus!" Mildew snarled in outrage. "You wouldn't dare…"

"I didn't do anything to Fergus," Hiccup assured with a sympathetic shrug. "Dagur gave him to his aunt as a present. Sort of like how you handed me to Alvin so many times."

"Lad, I never meant…"

"I'm tired of your lies, Mildew. I'm tired of you treating me as if I'm the shame of our tribe. All I ever wanted was to be like the rest of you and now all I want is to know the truth about my mother and you can't even give me that. Dagur can do what he wants with you."

"Hiccup, please…"

The youth closed his eyes and turned to leave. He should never have come down here. He should have left well enough alone and just kept to himself rather than seeking answers from someone who was only out to hurt him. His mother was gone, most likely dead and not a dragon trainer. Hell, there probably were no other dragon trainers out there with the exception of the teen he had taught on Berk. Even then he was still alone. Sure the other kids could train dragons but they weren't nearly as close to them as he was. None of them could speak Dragonese like him or understand dragons like he could. It would have been nice to think his mother could.

There a sudden ruckus followed by a thumping overhead, the sound of heavy boots. Hiccup glanced up and waited, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. They were too heavy to be Dagur's. His chest heaved in momentary fright before remembering that he at Harold's home and the Berserker second-in-command must have returned from the council meeting. Hopefully Dagur would be back with Toothless soon.

"Don't look so upset, boy," a voice said from the top of the steps. "This time you'll have more pleasant company."

Hiccup whirled around to see Alvin's large frame filling the opening to the cellar, Cora's small form dangling from his hand, small and frightened, large green eyes staring pleadingly at Hiccup. Hiccup met her gaze and knew immediately that he would never endanger the girl. He threw his sword to the side and raised his arms in surrender.

"That's a good, lad. Now hurry up before that deranged brat of a chieftain comes back," Alvin ordered as he stepped back and let Hiccup step out of the cellar. "He won't dare attack us while I have his precious sister. Now, hurry up. I want off this mud ball."

Hiccup did as he was told, his gaze never leaving Cora's. "It's going to be, Cora," he promised, knowing that the Outcast leader wasn't about to let the girl go if only to keep the Berserkers at bay. Savage grabbed Hiccup from behind, twisting his arm painfully behind his back. Hiccup gave a painful grunt and winced as pressure was placed on his wrist to assure obedience.

"There'll be no escaping this time, brat," Savage spat in his ear. "If you so much as try to run I'll break your arm."

"What about me?" Mildew yelled up from the cellar.

"I have what I want," Alvin shot back as he kicked closed the cellar door. "You're of no use to me now." Muffled yelling followed the action but Alvin chuckled darkly. "I'll admit, Hiccup, for a moment there I really thought you were Harold's boy but funny thing happened a few months back. His boy died in…let's say a training accident, huh? But kudos for the effort. Dagur was smart to try to disguise you as his cousin."

"Too bad the boy's dead," Savage taunted as he shoved the youth toward the back door and away from possible witnesses. Harold's wife was unconscious on the floor and it was next to impossible for |Hiccup to get a good look at her. "That would have made him your cousin too, no?"

Hiccup froze for a moment as that hit him. Harold's son would have been his cousin if it was true that his wife is Hiccup's mother's sister. He would have another cousin. The idea was thrilling until the rest of Savage's words made their way into his mind. Victor…Harold's son was dead? He yelped as Savaged put pressure on his wrist and shoved him forward. "How would you know that?" he finally asked, his voice tinged with pain.

"Victor's a hero!" Cora yelled, kicking and thrashing, as if trying to get to Hiccup.

"Hush you," Alvin snarled, shaking her.

"Leave her alone!" Hiccup snapped making the two men laugh at his feeble attempts to break free.

Alvin lifted the girl to eye level as he strolled toward the shoreline. "What use would I have for a half a little girl like you, huh? Once we're back to see I might use you for fish bait."

She eeped and fell silent. Her eyes were imploring when she looked to Hiccup again. "He not going to do it," Hiccup assured her before looking to the Outcast chief. "I'll take care of you. I promise."

"Shouldn't be making promises you can't keep, Hiccup," the man chastised, giving the girl a little shake and causing her to cry out. "Of course I could always use a chambermaid."

There was a look in Alvin's eyes when he leered at the girl that made something in Hiccup's stomach twist and the urge to vomit filled him. On his next step he stumbled, nearly tripping Savage who yanked his arm painfully. It hurt but Hiccup used it as a distraction and shook the boot of his prosthetic and freeing his metal leg. Then he twisted in the Outcast's grip and rammed a bony elbow into his gut and stomped down on his foot with his metal on. The man cursed and let him go. Alvin turned around in shock as Hiccup raced toward him to rescue Cora but before he could get very close two other men descended on him and before Hiccup could dodge them he was in their grip and being forced to his knees.

"NO!" he cried, trying to pull free. His breath was caught short when Savage stormed up to him and punched him in the gut.

"Getting tougher, I see," Alvin chuckled, amused by Hiccup's defiance. He knelt before Hiccup and grabbed his chin. "See I now know most of your secrets and really don't need you to train my dragons but I'll be hell bent if I let you train anyone else. The Outcasts will become the most powerful force in the region and we'll take down Berk and any other who stands in our way and you won't be there to help anyone. Do you really think your precious riders could continue without you?" He ran his hand through the boy's hair. "Ah but I have plans for you, Hiccup. This time you won't escape and maybe, just maybe…if you're good, I'll help you find your mother. How's that for a deal? You do want to find her, no? That's what you were questioning Mildew about, wasn't it?"

Hiccup could only stare at him before looking away and biting his lip. Everything kept coming back to his mother. After all these years he was finally amongst people who seemed to know something about his mother and maybe just maybe what happened to her. It was enough to calm him and for once seriously consider Alvin's offer.

"I know how hard it must be to not have a mother, Hiccup. Me own mother abandoned me when I was but a boy like you. I can fix that. Those horrid things the old man said were a lie. I can help you, Hiccup. Had I known that was what you wanted I would have given it to you from the beginning," Alvin continued, his voice almost fatherly. He tilted his head slightly and gestured for Savage to back off just a bit but kept the two warriors securely holding the boy. "No more fighting, lad. Come with me and I'll help you find those answers you so dearly desire."

"Hiccup?" Cora squeaked.

"Let her go," Hiccup demanded, his hard hardening as he met Alvin's gaze. "Let her go and I'll go with you. No more fighting."

Alvin nodded. "That a boy." He let Cora go and shoved her toward Savage but before the other man could grab her she turned around and bit one of the men holding Hiccup.

"RUN!" she screamed as Alvin went to grab her again. She ducked away as Hiccup managed to yank himself free in all the commotion. He scooped the girl up and darted toward the shadows of the forests.

"After them!" snarled Alvin as he shoved the men aside. "I want that boy, now! I don't care if you have to beat him to a pulp, I want him on my ship within the hour. GO!" His eyes narrowed as he watched his men race off after the two children. "I'll break him any way I have to even if it means marking him as mine."

. . .

Holding Cora tightly Hiccup struggled to get back up the hill. He wasn't as fast as he would have liked to be and his prosthetic did grip as well as it should but he continued forward, ignoring the yells and curses of the Outcasts quickly approaching from behind. He had to get Cora to safety and then he could face Alvin and…

The prosthetic tangled in a root causing him to trip and nearly drop Cora whose legs were wrapped tightly around his middle. "Hold on," he breathed as he tugged on the root until his foot came loss. Unfortunately it ate up the little lead they had ahead of the Outcasts. He shoved Cora away from him. "Run. Great to the Great Hall and tell your father what's going on," he urged the girl. "Go on, I'll be fine. Go!"

She hesitated for only a heartbeat then pulled out a long knife hidden in her boot and handed it to him. A moment later she gave a cry as the Outcasts descended on them but she didn't run as Hiccup hoped, only stood there frozen. Hiccup pushed her to the ground and then turned at lashed out with the knife, managing to slash open one Outcast's arm before he could grab the girl.

"GO! NOW!" he yelled at Cora as he rolled away from Savage and got to his feet. He grabbed the girl's hand and began running again. A distant roar could be heard and Hiccup changed routes to intercept the dragon he knew was rushing toward them. He imitated the roar, calling out in Dragonese to tell Toothless where they were.

"Not so fast!" another Outcast snarled, tackling Hiccup to the ground.

Cora gave a cry as she was pulled to the ground. Hiccup let her go and twisted around.

The Outcast leered at him in such a way that it made Hiccup's insides twist in disgust. "Just wait until I get you alone on Outcast Island, boy. You won't be running anymore. You won't be doing anything but lying there and taking everything I give you. You and your little friend."

Horror filled Hiccup at the meaning of his words and without thinking, his mind only on protecting Cora, he flipped the dagger in his hand and buried it to the hilt in the sick man's gut, angling it so that it hit every available vital organ in its way. The man's eye bulged out in surprise and a moment later he toppled over, clinging to his stomach as Hiccup scrambled to his feet and ushered Cora behind him and held the knife like a sword, willing to take down anyone who dared come near him or the little girl. They were still sorely outnumbered and if the remaining Outcasts charged them they would have no chance.

"Easy, lad, easy," Alvin said, his voice still surprisingly fatherly. "The girl can go. All I want is you."

Hiccup pointed the long knife at the large man, his eyes narrowed and full of hatred. "You've attacked my village, used the people I love against me and now you're making claims that you can help me find my mother. How do you expect me to ever believe a word you have to say?"

"You'll never know unless you do," Alvin insisted. "Now put down your sword and come here. No one will hurt you on the girl."

The sound of crunching logs and underbrush caught Hiccup's ears. Reaching behind him he grabbed Cora's hand and tugged her back to the ground just as Toothless leapt over his head with Dagur on his back. The black dragon stood protectively in front of Hiccup and Cora and growled warningly at the Outcasts.

"Did we miss much?" Dagur asked after he caught his breath from the accelerating ride down the hill. He gave Hiccup a goofy grin as the boy lifted his sister up to him. Dagur situated her in front of him and then held his hand out for Hiccup.

The dragon rider scrambled up and patted Toothless's wing. "Not much," he told Dagur as he took his rightful spot just behind Toothless's head. Cora wrapped her thin arms around his narrow waist and he glared at Alvin and the remaining Outcasts.

"This isn't over, boy," Alvin warned, returning the glare. He glanced past Hiccup to Dagur. "This means war!"

Dagur nodded, more than ready to tear the man apart for attacking his family. He was ready for a little bloodshed. He'd paint the island red with Alvin's blood for this outrage.

"Toothless, plasma breath," Hiccup commanded, his fingers gripping his friend's shoulders.

The Outcasts began running before a shot was even fired but Toothless fired a few blasts anyway for good measure then waited to make sure they were gone. Hiccup waited as well, his breath held and expecting a full battalion to come after them but nothing happened. Alvin was gone, for the moment and Hiccup allowed himself a chance to catch his breath and relax as he leaned forward and embraced Toothless, happy to finally have one stable thing back in his life. Cora hugged him from behind, softly cooing over Toothless while Dagur patted his back.

The battle might be over but the war was just getting started.


	9. Chapter 9

Brothers 9

"Sir, there's Outcasts boats in Berserker Harbor," Fishlegs reported from the bow of the ship. He held the spy glass to his eye and a worried frown creased his brow. "There's more hidden amongst the Thor's fingers. Should I signal Astrid?"

Stoick strolled to the front of the ship and took the spy glass from the young man and held it to his own eye. "Aye, tell them to bank around the island. If there's a clear place for us to moor have her signal back otherwise land somewhere safe for the night and we'll try again early in the morning."

Fishlegs nodded and took the lantern off the hook over the mast and began signaling to the group of riders above what the new plan was. A few moments later a light signal answered and Fishlegs gave Stoick a bright smile. "Alright, they understand."

A small sigh of relief escaped Stoick and he leaned against the bow of the ship and stared out over the sea and toward the island now less than an hour away. Somewhere on that island was his son and he desperately wanted to get to Hiccup before anything bad happened to him but now they were going to be delayed due to Alvin the Treacherous. Oh how he wanted to kill the man. "Extinguish the light and prepares to steer starboard. We'll approach from the south."

A chorus of "Ayes" answered him as the Hooligan warriors rowed with all their might and altered course to meet their chief new directions, not one of them questioning him. It was another two hours before the ship came to shore. Stoick signaled for half his warriors to stay behind while he took a small contingent with him and Fishlegs all the way up the back of the mountain and up a rocky path toward the dragon pits. More likely than not that was where they would find Hiccup and Toothless or so he hoped.

Another hour passed before they reached the dragon pits, spent dodging Berserker warriors and tracking the path in the most winding route imaginable until finally, finally they came to an arena not much different from the one in Berk. Stoick signaled for his warriors to check each cage. The arena was a bloody mess. Dragon bones littered the rock floor and forgotten weapon lay broken. It looked like to have been an awful mess and Stoick's heart dropped into his stomach as he pictured the sorry poor warrior who was stain by the beast and prayed that it wasn't his boy or his beloved dragon. Thankfully the bones were old, weeks, maybe months but nothing within the last twenty-four hours.

"They're not here," Astrid reported as she landed her Deadly Nadder and climbed off. "Snotlout and I searched all the cages and caves, all we found was Toothless's saddle and harness and this." Her voice grew soft as he handed Stoick a pile of bunched up, blood stained rags.

Stoick stared at the green fabric now stained dark red in horror. They were the sleeve to Hiccup's tunic, ripped right at the seams. He took a deep breath and held it for a moment before slowing letting it out. Hiccup wasn't dead, he couldn't be. Hiccup was a smart boy, he wouldn't go down without a fight. "Was there anything else?"

"No, sir," Snotlout said, standing next to Astrid, his face almost as white as a sheet at the idea of anything bad happening to his younger cousin. "There was a cave with blood in it. It's still sticky to the touch but I don't think its Hiccup's. There was also a bag of fish but Hookfang ate them." He shrugged his shoulders at the glare Astrid gave him. "What?"

"Show me," Stoick said sternly, gesturing for the teens to show the way.

They were halfway around the arena when they spotted two Berserkers entering what appeared to be a weapons storage room. Stoick signaled for everyone to stop and motioned for the teens to get back with their dragons then he and Gobber inched closer, their swords drawn and ready to take down the men and find out what had happened to his son.

"Where is it?" asked one man as he shifted stuff around. "Dagur did say this storage unit, didn't he?"

"Yeah. He must have put it somewhere else. You know how he gets when excited," answered the other man, as if not surprised to find what they were looking for was not there. "Maybe he placed it on the other side of the pit." He stretched as he strolled out of the room and gave a yelp as Gobber wrapped an arm around his throat and held his hook just under his chin while Stoick cornered the other Berserker.

"Aye now, lads, what might you be searching for?" asked Gobber, his voice pleasant despite the sharp hook posed to slit the man's throat.

For a moment the man struggled until suddenly realizing that they were dealing with Hooligans and not Outcasts and gave a sigh of relief. "Stoick!" he cried out for joy. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see you."

Stoick raised a surprised brow but said nothing.

"What, Dagur driving the lot of you nuts, too?" Gobber asked in a teasing voice.

The man shook his head. "No, no…Dagur's a good bloke. It's the Outcasts I'm worried about. They're posed to attack and I'm not sure Dagur's ready for such a battle. This isn't like going to war for him, he's never had to defend his home and people before."

Gobber let him go and looked to Stoick who looked floored by the news.

"Dagur and Alvin are not working together?" Stoick asked as he slowly lowered his sword.

"No, sir," said the other Berserker, his hands still raised in a show of surrender.

"And my son?"

Wide eyes met the question. "The Dragon Conqueror? He and his mount are in the village with the war council. The two chieftains are trying to plan the best defense for the island."

"Two chieftains?" Gobber asked, a brow raising and matching the confusion filling Stoick's face.

The Berserkers nodded. "Dagur the Deranged and Hiccup the Dragon Conqueror."

Stoick met Gobber's gaze as a small smile tugged at his lips. "Then take us to them."

. . .

Dagur moved his family and Hiccup to the Great Hall where the walls were reinforced and it was large enough to house the entire village. Just about everyone was there, every warrior not guarding the port and every family. Once tired children were now wide awake as their eyes fell upon the Nightfury, first with fear and then wonder when they realized the dragon wasn't going to harm them. Excitement filled them and they quickly surrounded Toothless and Hiccup, asking endless questions and petting and cooing over the dragon. At first Toothless backed away but then seeing that they were no different the Berk's children he gently bunted a little boy and let the kids hugs him and pet him. Once they figured out what made the dragon purr the kids went to work scratching and petting him, laughing in delight when he would drop to the ground and roll onto his side for a belly rub.

The adults weren't so open to there being a dragon in the Great Hall and even more so to their children playing with it. Many tried and failed to draw their children away and finally gave up when Dagur, the one usually most keen on slaying dragons, allowed his sister to play with the beast. If their leader was willing to allow his sister – the only immediate family he had left – to fondle the large beast then Toothless had to be safe enough. Nonetheless everyone kept a close eye on the large animal while the warriors gathered around a vast round table where Dagur was uncurling a map of Berserk Island and Harold and Merick laid out wood figurines as more torches were lit and hung from pillars around the table and off the overhead beam.

"Just be careful around his frills," Hiccup advised the children playing with Toothless. "Their very sensitive and you'll have his back legs twitching if you scratch them."

That might have been the wrong thing to say to a bunch of little kids. Cora gave a squeal of delight and began scratching behind Toothless's ears, directly behind the frills and Toothless's leg went a thumping as the might Nightfury's eye rolled into the back of his head and his tongue hung out as he purred like a big cat getting the best treatment of his life. Hiccup laughed. Toothless was in heaven and nothing short of an Outcast attack was going to draw him away from his adoring fans. Smiling brightly Hiccup joined Dagur and the warriors at the table, fully expecting to be shooed away. He was taken by surprise when Dagur shifted sideways to make room for him.

"Alright," Dagur began, pointing to the map with a short blade. "We know the Outcasts are moored here, within range of our arrows and us theirs, however we can't assume that's their only ships."

"No, Alvin likes to fight dirty," Harold threw in as he set a handful of small wooden boats on the map around Thor's fingers. "More likely than not he'll have another dozen or more ships hidden out at sea. These front ships will most likely serve as a distraction when the battle begins while these ships move in from the sides…perhaps even the rear of the island."

"Are there any blockades along the shoreline, cliffs or rock faces that might slow them down?" Hiccup asked, running a finger over the east and west coasts.

"Cliffs dot most of the east side but the west is full of lagoons and sandy beaches. We have guard towers there and a rock wall but not much else to deter a full scale attack," Harold explained. "The south isn't much better but the terrain is harsh and will take far longer for them to reach the village. However, if they're planning on swarming us that would be the way an army would come."

Hiccup nodded.

"That won't happen," Dagur assured. He lined up a series of wooden soldiers along the south and west coasts. "We'll have archers hidden amongst the trees and swordsmen ready to run them through should the arrows not meet their mark."

"We'll need most of our swordsmen to defend the village. If the Outcasts push through our defenses we need to protect our people," Harold argued, rearranging the wooden soldiers so that most lined the village and accepting the angry glare shot his way by Dagur.

Hiccup studied the arrangement, his eye still on the cliff formation. "What about that cave Cora and the kids were camping in during the storm? Where was that?"

"Here," Dagur answered, pointing to a buff not far from the cliffs. "There's a series of old mine tunnels that lead to the sea but it's a treacherous journey and no one in their right mind would ever use it for anything more than shelter from a storm."

"Can the sea opening be entered by a grown man?"

Harold shook his head. "Maybe but not an army. The tunnels are too narrow. What are you thinking, lad?"

Hiccup glanced toward Toothless and the gleeful children surrounding him. He had an idea but he was sure no one was going to like it. He chewed his lip in thought, wondering just how much his word meant to these people and gave a sudden start when a small hand slipped into his. A smile lit his face when he looked down to see Cora staring up at him. A split second later Dagur was lifting the girl up and setting her on the table between them. His large hand stayed on his sister's back, supporting her while she looked at the map as well. It only reinforced Hiccup's idea.

"How about we send the children and elderly to the cave and hide several small row boats amongst the rocks?" he said as he pointed to the series of rocks near the cliffs. "How deep is the water there?"

"Not deep. Cora could walk nearly twenty…thirty feet before it drops but I'm not sure the kids can roll for more than an hour before tiring out," Harold pointed out, doubtful of the plan.

"Hopefully they won't have to at all. With luck we can run them off," Dagur added as if reading Hiccup's mind.

"Right. This is just a safe place for them to hide until things clear up but also an escape route for them in case the worse happens. We'll also need two strong men per boat to help row and protect them," Hiccup continued.

"That'll knock us down at least ten men," Dagur argued but quickly relented when he looked at his sister. Hell, he would give his entire army to endure her safety. "Alright, what else?"

This part Hiccup knew Dagur would agree to but it had to be said. "Alvin wants me. He won't attack if he thinks he has a chance to get me without risking his neck. Toothless and I are going to lead him on a merry chase around the island and…"

"No," Dagur said simply and firmly in a voice surprisingly like Stoick that left no room for argument.

Hiccup sighed and placed both hands on the table as he tried to think of another way around this without endangering innocent people. "Alright, what's your plan?"

There was silence for the longest time before Dagur once more glanced at his little sister, kissed the top of her head and then set her on the floor. "How about you go get Toothless some fish, I'm sure he's hungry."

"Okay," she chirped before running off.

They watched her go before Dagur's face grew serious. "We take the fight to them," he said once Cora was out of earshot. "Alvin wants you, fine but we're not going to make it easy nor am I letting you run around Berserk. We'll face him together, understand?"

That made Hiccup smile and he gave a nod. "Alright."

"And what would you have us do?" a voice boomed from that other side of the room.

Hiccup froze, his heart thumping uncontrollably.

"Well I'll be damn," Dagur said with a broad smile as he turned to look at the new comers. There stood Stoick and a handful of warriors as well as the rest of the dragon riders.

Slowly Hiccup turned around, his eyes to the wooden floor. His gaze met a familiar pair of boots and he flinched. Yeah, he was in trouble, maybe worse trouble than what he would face with Alvin right now. Teaming up with Dagur could be seen as betrayal after the Berserkers attacked Berk but given his options he would do it again, especially with Alvin threatening their village.

"Uhm…I can explain," he said, his voice squeaking. His looked up at his father, feeling as small as he had the day his father discovered Toothless and that they were friends.

Instead of the booming lecture he was expecting his father's large hands descended on his shoulders and a moment later he found himself in his father's arms and being held so tightly that he thought his ribs might crack. "I don't care," Stoick said, his voice also cracking – just a little.


	10. Chapter 10

Brothers 10

If seeing the Berk warriors in the Great Hall wasn't surprising for most of the Berserkers seeing their leader all but pin Dagur to a pillar was but not one of them – with the exception of Harold – moved to stop him. They all admired their young, if not zealous, leader but they also knew that unless the boy had seriously hurt the Berk heir Stoick would not kill him but just put some much needed fear into him. Hiccup on the other hand wasn't sure if he should be stopping his father or defending Dagur. Finally he made up his mind.

"Do you think attacking my shores and stealing my son is a joke, boy?" Stoick demanded, glaring down at the young chief angrily. "And now you've endangered him further by inviting the Outcasts to your shores."

"They were not invited," Dagur argued trying to return the heated glare but his height compared to Stoick left much to be desired, all he got was a face full of beard.

"Aye? And just how did Alvin discover you had Hiccup?"

"I don't know."

"Dad, Alvin's had spies around Berk for months," Hiccup argued, grabbing his father's arm to try and get him to back off only to have Gobber wrap an arm around his waist and lift him away from the two chieftains. "Gobber, put me down. He has to see reason. If he hurts Dagur it could cause war and in case no one's noticed were outnumbered like five to one."

"Easy, lad, your father knows what's he's doing," Gobber assured, setting him down next to Astrid.

"Gobber!" he argued only to have Astrid put a hand on his shoulder. It was supposed to be comforting but at that moment it felt suffocating. He stared wide eyed at his father as the large man raised his fist as if to strike Dagur. Without thinking Hiccup grabbed his shield from Fishlegs and whipped it toward the two chieftains, angling it in a way that it spun between them and made his father jump back before it hit a second pillar and bounced back and Hiccup caught it. "Enough!"

Stoick and Dagur looked to him in surprise but neither said a word and even the other riders backed away silently, not used to seeing this side of Hiccup.

"Look," Hiccup started, his green gaze meeting his father's. "It was a stupid mistake. We shouldn't have hid the dragons from the Berserkers. If we had been truthful with them from the start yeah it may have started a war but it wouldn't have lasted long once they got to know them." He ran a hand through his hair, feeling utterly exhausted mentally and physically.

"Hiccup," Astrid asked, seeing a small shiver run through Hiccup, a clear signal of exhaustion. She placed a hand on his arm but he again pulled away and walked up to the two Viking leaders.

"Okay, so it led to a battle and I was caught but it could have been a lot worse. Right now we can't focus on a stupid misunderstanding." His voice grew louder with every word and he stared his father down, silently pleading for him to understand and to listen. "The Outcasts are out there, practically at our doorsteps and if we don't work together and stop them now what's to stop them from making a full scale attack on Berk next?"

"Our dragons," Snotlout snorted as if the answer was obvious.

Hiccup nodded. "Our dragons. Our dragons… Did they see you come to the island?" he asked as he turned toward his cousin.

"No, we stayed to the clouds and came in from the south," Snotlout said with a hint of pride as if it were his idea rather than his chief's.

Dagur pushed past Stoick and strolled to Hiccup as if nothing had happened. "What are thinking?"

Hiccup glanced at him and then looked toward to the table with the map on it. "We go with our original plan and move the children and elderly to the cave but since the Outcasts don't know the riders are here…" He hurried back to the map and looked the location of the dragon pits. They were right above the south western shores where the island was virtually defenseless and the Outcasts most likely to attack.

The older boy grinned as if reading his mind. He flipped his dagger through his fingers before embedding it in the map and deeply into the wooden table. "Stoick, the skies are yours."

Hiccup grinned brightly as he looked to his bewildered father and friends. Of course now that Stoick was there things got altered a bit as he and Harold debated over troop positions and weapons but by that time Dagur had grown bored with battle plans and announced – much to Hiccup's horror – that Hiccup needed more battle training, namely hand-to-hand combat which Snotlout and the twins fully agreed with and even Astrid nodded to. Gobber looked thoughtful at the concept and finally gave his approval however Stoick was not comfortable with the idea what-so-ever.

"This is not the time for Hiccup to be playing with swords. You should all be getting you rest," the Hooligan chieftain said sternly, giving Dagur a pointed look rather than Hiccup. "Besides, he's had all the warrior training he needs."

"And he failed in the hand-to-hand fighting department," Astrid pointed out, causing Hiccup's face to flush red in embarrassment, but sadly it was true.

Dagur folded his arms across his chest and glared at the other teens. "And I bet none of it was with anywhere nearly his size."

Astrid raised her hand. "Ah…yeah, with me."

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Uh huh, and you're a girl that he happens to have a crush on and would never think of hitting back."

That made her eyes wide and Hiccup's face to nearly turn purple. "Never mind, I'll just surrender to Alvin and we can forget this whole thing," he murmured as he covered his face. Of all the things Dagur could have done to him why…why would he say that to her in front of everyone?

Astrid stuttered but couldn't seem to form any words in response so ended up punching Snotlout's arm when the boy had the gull to laugh at her.

Dagur's grin only grew as he wrapped an arm around Hiccup's shoulders and steered him toward the back of the Great Hall where it was practically empty. "Now it's time for you to get a crash course on fighting like a Berserker."

"Oh just want I always wanted," Hiccup grumbled as he tried not to stumble. "Make sure when you throw the knives you actually do hit me between the eyes this time and kill me in one blow."

Dagur only laughed and slapped him on the back. "No knife throwing this time."

"I don't like this," Stoick grumbled, abandoning the battle plans to follow the boys. He looked to Gobber, his eyes full of worry.

"He'll be fine," Gobber assured. "He's gotten rather fast on his feet. He can dodge and weave."

Stoick groaned. "That's not what I meant.

"Dagur's one of best warriors. If anyone can teach Hiccup it's him," Harold assured. Nonetheless it was him, not Dagur who gave Hiccup instructions, things neither Gobber nor Stoick thought to use when training Hiccup. They didn't give Hiccup any weapons just had him stand for a moment as Harold and Merick walked around him, studying him closely. The Hooligans stood off to the side and watched quickly. "You're small Hiccup but that's not necessarily a bad thing. You can use it to your advantage just as you can use you prosthetic…and no Dagur, not as a club."

All the teens laughed and even Hiccup smiled at the joke. It made the young heir relax a little.

"Everyone underestimates the little guy," Harold continued once the laughter settled. "But if you learn who to move you can throw someone even Stoick's size."

"Don't it," Snotlout snorted.

Astrid punched him again, this time knocking him to the ground. "The problem isn't his size it's his strength," she pointed out.

"That's something that can be worked on," Harold said, not fazed by the doubt of the Hooligans. He dismissed them and focused on Hiccup. He moved closer to the boy, watching the way he flinched at their proximity. He was indeed a small boy. "Size isn't your enemy. You can use it against anyone; you just need to know how."

Hiccup wasn't the easiest student. He didn't like violence and with little sleep in well over twenty-four hours he tired easily but after a few failed attempts he managed to learn how to flip Astrid and the twins off him in case of a surprise attack. Snotlout was a lot harder and seemed to take a sick pleasure in being able to still pin Hiccup without much difficulty and twisting his arm behind him.

"Don't be afraid of pain, Hiccup. Use it," Harold instructed, walking around the two boys.

"Yeah right, you couldn't get me off if you tried. You need Astrid to save you butt again?" Snotlout taunted.

Hiccup grunted and glanced toward Dagur who looked a little amused as well as worried. The young chieftain tapped his right arm and wiggled it like a chicken wing and then twirled his left foot. Hiccup's eyes narrowed, trying to understand and then it hit him. His legs were between Snotlout's and his right arm wasn't pinned, he could move even though the pressure placed on his left arm was nearly unbearable.

"What you going to do, Hiccup?" Snotlout teased.

Hiccup's fake foot moved out from between Snotlout's and over his ankle, trapping it to the floor and then, when Snotlout was all too sure he had won, Hiccup threw his weight to the left and lashed out with his elbow, smacking the larger boy in the face and knocking him off. Then before Snotlout could recover, Hiccup leapt on him and brought up his fist, ready to punch his cousin.

"Whoa, whoa…you win!" Snotlout yelled, raising his arms in surrender, his eyes full of surprise. He gave a laugh when Hiccup back off a little. "Knew you couldn't do it. OW! Son of a Terror!" he cried, cradling his nose. He hadn't honestly expected Hiccup to ever punch him.

There was a round of applause as Hiccup stood. He reached down to help his cousin but the boy slapped his hand away and trudged off to join the rest of the teens where he was teased endlessly. Hiccup was a little hesitant. He never wanted to hurt Snotlout but there were times when he could get right under his skin and... That was the first time he had hit Snotlout without receiving a beating in response.

"Not bad, not bad," Harold congratulated him. "Let's continue."

It lasted for hours until Hiccup could escape just about everyone, although his father was exceptionally hard to dodge or throw without being crushed…which meant Alvin would be next to impossible. After that it was close range knife fighting. Only half the teens stayed to watch that while Snotlout and Fishlegs found places to sleep. It was literally a crash course in hand-to-hand combat and while Hiccup had a hard time catching on but the end he was able to best Dagur at least two out of five times which to the older boy was rather impressive, especially when Hiccup managed to pin him and hold not just one knife to his throat but also one to his groin, making it clear not to move or lose one of two things he cared very dearly for. Stoick was ecstatic and clapped his boy on the back, nearly knocking him over when he stood.

"Ah, not bad, my boy, not bad at all," he said, his voice filled with pride at the sight of his boy finally able to care for himself.

"Thanks," Hiccup murmured with a wide yawn, his eyes droopy and the need for sleep finally claiming him. He stopped though when those nagging questions about his mother resurfaced. "Dad…I…ah…" He chewed his lower lip and decided against it. "It's nothing."

"Hiccup?" Stoick asked but his son hurried off, followed closely by Dagur who looked very concerned and that concerned Stoick. He moved to intercept the boys but a familiar and not too happy voice caught his attention and he turned just in time to receive a rather painful punch to the jaw from a very upset woman. He held his jaw and looked at the redhead who glared daggers at him. "Hello Miriam," he said, staring at his wife's younger sister.

She glared daggers at him. "How dare you?" she snarled, her eyes just as bright and green as her sister's. "You don't belong here."

Before he could respond she turned on her heel, marched right up to a very startled Hiccup and kissed the boy on the cheek before storming out of the Great Hall, leaving the room in stunned silence. Hiccup watched her go and then looked to his father, the earlier unspoken question now obvious and Stoick wasn't sure how to proceed with explaining his mother's past in a way Hiccup would understand without being upset by not learning sooner.


	11. Chapter 11

Brothers 11

**Just a few notes; I haven't read the httyd books yet although I am buying them bit by bit for my son so I follow the movie and tv series, although I haven't seen all of season 1 yet due to work and such but I am catching up on youtube. I do know that in the books Hiccup is left hand and a good swordfighter although in this I have him still learning because in the series and movie we don't get to see that part of him. Raya and Miriam is the same person, thanks to KaliAnn for catching that, her full name is Rayanamiriam but depending on person and relationship she goes by either Raya or Miriam, this was supposed to be mention earlier on but since I write stream of thought it's something I missed. I'm also trying to tie this to the upcoming film from what very little I know of it which you may notice along the way. Also I am so sorry for all the spelling and grammar mistakes last chapter, I was trying to type and everyone just had to keep bugging me, seriously the moment I looked at the keyboard either someone in my family had to ask me a dozen questions when it's supposed to me "me time" while my boy's at work and I have time before work. Oh well, back to the fic.**

Silence filled the Great Hall following Rayanamiriam's departure. Adults and children alike stared at Stoick and Hiccup in surprise but their attention quickly moved elsewhere as Harold went to deal with his wife and Gobber went to talk to a shocked Stoick. Dagur led Hiccup back to Toothless to give his father a moment to gather his wits and help the younger boy relax for a moment or two.

"You alright?" Gobber asked as Stoick watched the two boys sit next to Toothless and close to one of the home fires.

"No," Stoick said, his chest oddly tight and mind hazy. He reached out behind him for the nearby table and sat down heavily. "I had forgotten all about her when Dagur took Hiccup. I didn't even consider he might meet his aunt and…his cousin."

Gobber patted his shoulder. "I'm sure it's not all that bad. We'll sort this all out after we deal with Alvin and his crew. For now I suggest we let the boys solidify their obvious new friendship. I haven't seen them this close since before Dagur's mother passed away."

That helped Stoick think passed his wife's family and back on the issue that had brought him to Berserk in the first place. "Yes and I don't trust it. Whatever Dagur is up to I won't have him manipulate my boy with his tricks."

"I don't know. I don't think this is some trick," Gobber argued as he watched the boys. Dagur whispered something to Hiccup who nodded as the larger boy got to his feet and went picked up a little girl who had been calling to him. "Dagur seems much calmer than when he visited Berk a few months ago. He almost reminds me of his father."

"Dagur will never be like his father," Stoick growled in annoyance. He didn't know just how good a thing that would be.

. . .

Dagur sat against a pillar with Cora straddling her lap as she laid her had against his chest. It was way past her bed time and she, like the other Berserker children, should be sound asleep. Unfortunately Cora was a very observant child and once her delight of being allowed to play with a dragon – a Nightfury no less – had worn off the events of only a few short hours ago hit her like a ton of bricks and fear wiggled its way into her. She didn't cry, she was too much a warrior for that or so she insisted, but she did cling to her big brother a little tighter.

"Are we going to war?" she asked Dagur in a tiny voice. She didn't meet his eyes but rather kept her face buried against his chest, fearful of the answer.

Dagur stroked her hair and kept his voice gentle. "Yes."

"Are you going to die?"

His heart sank. He hated when she started talking like this; it was way too grown up for any child to think in such a way. Nonetheless he answered truthfully. "Maybe…but not before I take down as maybe of the Outcasts as I can."

She only nodded but said nothing, her fear only increasing as her tiny body quivered.

Sighing, he gave her a squeeze and very gently lifted her chin so that she met his gaze. "Hey, I'm not going down without a fight and you know better than anyone I won't let anyone hurt you but I've got a big job for you."

Cora blinked bright teary eyes as she met his gaze. "Yeah?"

"If something does happen to me you know you're the next chieftain, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then I need you to be a leader and make sure everyone gets up to the cave safely. You remember the passage way to the sea?"

"Uh huh."

"If things go wrong you're to take everyone down there and take the boats to Berk, understood? You don't come back here. You go straight to Berk where you'll be safe, right?"

"Right," she agreed before laying her head against his chest again.

Leaning back Dagur rested his head against the pillar and closed his eyes, more than ready to catch a few winks. Even a short fifteen minute power nap was better than nothing. Of course he wasn't about to get that.

"Dagur?" Cora asked, her voice just above a whisper.

"Hmm?"

"I miss Dad."

He opened his eyes, a mix of anger, sorrow and longing filling him at the words. He gave another sigh and placed his head on hers. "Yeah, right now I miss him, too." And it was the truth. This was the one time since killing their father that he really wished he hadn't. These types of battles were what Oswald the Agreeable excelled at and right now Dagur needed his help.

Regardless he cuddled his sister and tried to get her to go to sleep and hopefully get a few minutes himself. But it would seem Cora had other thoughts as she wiggled out of his arms, kissed his cheek and then hurried over to Hiccup and Toothless. Dagur raised a questioning brow as he watched her wiggle under Hiccup's arm and snuggled up to him and Toothless. A slow grin lifted his lips. It would seem Hiccup and his dragon had a fan. Slowly he got back to his feet and sauntered over as well.

Hiccup was half asleep when he felt Cora crawl under his arm and snuggle against his chest. He blinked his eyes open and looked at her, not used to anyone other than Toothless trying to sleep with him. He nearly panicked at first, thinking for sure Dagur would not be pleased with this but quickly dismissed it as sleep tugged at his mind once more. He made himself more comfortable against Toothless and subconsciously tugged a big black wing over the girl as he went back to sleep, not noticing Dagur take up residence by his feet and lean against Toothless as well. The dragon gave a little rumble and wrapped his tail around all three.

From several feet away Astrid watched them with a growing frown, not one bit happy about Hiccup's new friends or how close they seemed to be considering how this all came to be. She turned away from them in anger, her gaze momentarily meeting Stoick's, and stormed out of the Great Hall. She'll spend the night with Stormfly in a nearby barn.

. . .

Morning came all too quickly as Harold and his wife returned to the Great Hall before sunrise and sounded a horn to wake everyone. Dagur was not happy at all as he grudgingly got to his feet, took the horn from his uncle and smashed it on the ground, more than ready to go back to sleep. Harold, used to such behavior, took the boy by the arm and made him sit down while Rayanamiriam sat a chest on the table and got people up and about and food cooking. Dagur thumped his head on the table and tried going back to sleep amongst the grumbling of other Viking. It was too early to be making battle plans – and even he couldn't believe he had just thought that but his mind was like sludge and refused to cooperate or think past his much needed sleep until he had a bowl of gruel and mug of mead. Even then it took a while before he was awake enough to focus on what was going on around him.

Hiccup looked to be in worse shape as he took a seat next to him and laid his head down on the table as well, ignoring the food and drink even though he must have been hungry. Toothless's head rested on his lap in a comforting way but it did nothing to help the young heir wake up. Cora went to eat with the other children while the Dragon Riders all decided to sit at their table and try to get Hiccup up and about. Dagur shot them warning glares when their bantering became too much for his weary head and Hiccup even covered his ears and asked them to hold off on their endless questions until he could think.

"Yeah but Hiccup we need to talk about what happened," Fishlegs began when Hiccup looked like he was ready to go back to sleep again.

"No we don't," Hiccup murmured.

"But that woman last night…" Astrid started. "And that little girl."

"My aunt, his sister," Hiccup grumbled. "Can we hold off until after I'm awake for the rest of the questions."

"No," said Snotlout, going to grab Hiccup's arm only to have Dagur grab his wrist and yank it painfully away from Hiccup.

"Let. Him. Rest," Dagur growled threateningly. He pushed a mug of mead in front of Hiccup. "Try this."

It took a while but bit by bit Hiccup woke up but it was Stoick that finally got the sleep out of his eyes as he finally broke away from the other Vikings to take a good look at his son. He knelt before Hiccup and forced the youth to look at him. "Are you alright?" he asked his son as he noted the dark circles under tired eyes.

"Yeah…fine. I didn't get much sleep the other night and last night wasn't much better. Just give me a little time and I'll be alright. Right, Toothless?" Hiccup asked his dragon with a tired smile. Toothless on nuzzled him more with made the youth's smile widened.

Stoick nodded. "About last night…"

Hiccup looked away then and took the spoon next to his bowl to poke at the gruel. "It's alright. I get it. We'll talk later."

His father's eyes widened. For a boy that wanted to know everything about everything it was surprising to see Hiccup not want to talk about something that was obviously so important to him. He sighed and backed the boy's back. "When you're ready," he said as gently as possible.

Hiccup only nodded but the look in his eyes was nearly heartbreaking and Stoick wanted so badly to explain about his mother's family and why they rarely – if ever – communicated with them. So much had happened since Stoick and Valhallrama married so long ago, so many things he had never told Hiccup about and now worried her family may have that Stoick needed to explain himself but if Hiccup was not ready to discuss it then he would wait. It was probably for the best anyway now that they were on the eve of battle.

"Regardless of all this heart to heart we do have an upcoming battle," Harold announced as he pushed the chest in front of Hiccup.

The youth looked up at him curiously before standing and lifting the lid. Inside were clothing, armor, and helmet all neatly packed and far too small for any warrior in the room. His brows rose in surprise as he lifted the surprisingly light weighted armor that looked just about his size. "Did you make this?" he asked Harold unable to believe they were for him.

"Yes, there were my son's but I'm certain they'll fit you," Harold answered with a small, longing smile and the look of a father who had lost a child to war.

Hiccup didn't know what to say. His chest felt tight at the knowledge these items belonged to his cousin who had indeed died. He placed everything back in the chest and pushed it toward the man. "I shouldn't. These are all that you have left of him."

Stoick inhaled sharply and looked to the man, surprised by what he was hearing.

"Victor would have wanted you to have them," Harold said before reaching forward and cupping Hiccup's cheek. "Besides, we have you and I'm not about to loss you like I did him and if we're going to battle with the Outcasts then you need better protection than a simple tunic and dragon, no offense to Toothless."

The dragon grumbled at him but Hiccup only laughed and ran his hand over the beast's frills. "He always takes good care of me. I'll be fine."

"Actually he has a point," Stoick said, surprising both of them. "I would feel better if you wore armor."

Dagur clapped Hiccup on the back. "Then it's settled. You're about to become a Berserker."

"Viking," Stoick corrected. "He's a Hooligan."

Dagur waved that off. "Half Berserker. Whatever. Let's just get you changed while Old Wrinkly and Cora lead the elderly and children to the cave."

"Agreed," said Harold as he pulled out everything out of the chest and placed it on the table.

Hiccup swallowed thickly but in the end he agreed to it, although Dagur spreading war paint on him was a little questionable and not exactly something he didn't exactly agree to but when you have a deranged chieftain coming at you with blue paint you didn't dodge when your father was the one standing behind you unless your planning on hearing an endless yelling match or worse. So Hiccup stood still and closed his eyes as Dagur's ran three large fingers over his left eye and across his cheek and then again over his thin biceps and back of his hands.

"There, now you're a Berserker," Dagur announced delightedly, his mouth set in a wide smile.

Stoick rolled his eyes and looked more than tempted to wash the paint off his son's face. The other teens snickered and giggled off to the corner. Next went the oversize tunic for a better fitting one followed by a chest plate and shoulder armor, bracers and shin guards and finally the helmet that covered Hiccup's head completely and offered far more protection than his own helmet safely tucked in his room at home.

"No that's an improvement," Dagur whistled, impressed by the makeover.

"Not quite," Stoick said as he looked Hiccup over. He found some red paint amongst a pile the children had been playing with the night before and came back with a brush, then he paint the chest of Berk on one shoulder pad and nodded to himself satisfied. "Now you're perfect."

It was a little hard for Hiccup to see it with the helmet on but he smiled nonetheless at his father, happy he wasn't overly upset about the change. "What do you think, bud?" he asked Toothless.

The dragon tilted his large triangular head and studied him curiously before making a bleating sound that was far too much like laughing and Hiccup couldn't help but frown at his best friend, especially when Gobber rubbed the dragon's head and gave a laugh of his own. Then Toothless flicked his tail and slapped Hiccup on the rear before bleating some more. That made Dagur and just about everyone else laugh.

Hiccup's face bunched as he glared at his "best friend". "Traitor," he grumbled but couldn't help the small grin that tugged at the corner of his mouth when he caught sight of his reflection in a pool of water. He barely recognized himself. He looked like a warrior of old. Definitely a smaller version of Dagur…oh, now that was a scary thought, especially when Dagur wrapped an arm around his shoulders and they stood side by side. Yep, this was definitely the weirdest thing he had done to date but at the same time felt oddly right. Of course if he did decide to continue wearing armor it would need a little tweaking.


	12. Chapter 12

Brothers 12

Okay, so having armor that actually sort of fit was rather cool even if almost half his face was painted blue and he could pass as Dagur's little brother for real but Hiccup still felt rather self-confident about his ability to move around in it. It wasn't heavy or bulky but still not something Hiccup was used but when he stepped outside and into the brisk early morning air and spotted the number of Outcasts ships just off the shores of Berserk he was happy for it. The half dozen ships had nearly tripled over night which meant there was no telling how many more where surrounding the islands.

"I guess there really will be a battle," he said more to himself than anyone else. He relaxed slightly when Stoick placed a large hand on his shoulder, the familiar weight easing some of his fear.

"Aye, son, but we can beat them," Stoick said encouragingly.

Gobber nodded, coming up to Hiccup's other side. "Yes, and our warriors and I will be here at your side while your father and the riders take to the sky. Don't fret so much, Hiccup. Alvin has no clue we're here. We have the advantage."

"Yeah," Hiccup agreed but he couldn't help the knot deep in his stomach. This was his fault. Alvin wouldn't be attacking the Berserkers if it weren't for him being on the island, regardless of how that came to be. He took a deep breath as Gobber moved aside to let Toothless next to him. The ebony dragon rubbed his head again Hiccup's shoulder. Hiccup laughed and patted him. "Let's go, bud," he said as he climbed up onto his saddle, thankful that Dagur hadn't destroyed it.

Dagur was grinning like a madman as he looked down at the ships in his harbor. "Finally, I get to kill something!"

Hiccup and Stoick both frowned at him and Gobber simply shook his head in bemusement. There were some things about Dagur that would simply never change and Hiccup supposed they weren't all bad only a little deranged which was simply how Dagur was. Hiccup nearly jumped when his father grabbed his hand.

"Be careful, son," Stoick said, his voice filled with fatherly concern. "The dragons riders and I won't be far but if things get too out of hand fall back."

Hiccup wasn't sure if he should be insulted or not but he gave a nod and tried to smile. "You be careful to."

"I'm proud of you son, all three of you," Stoick added, patting Toothless's head and giving Dagur a thin smile.

Dagur only blinked at him in surprise and then watched as Stoick and the Berk teens headed back to the large barn where their dragons were hidden.

Gobber smacked him on the back in pride. "You must have finally got on his good side, minus the whole kidnapping incident. I suggest you stay there."

Hiccup only grinned at him but Dagur shook his head in slight annoyance and climbed onto Toothless's back. "Should we wake them up?" he asked, gesturing toward the Outcast ships.

"Oh I'm pretty sure they're awake but what could it hurt, hey Toothless?" Hiccup said, scratching behind Toothless's frills. The dragon gave a purr then opened his large wings. A moment later he and both boys took to the skies.

From the barn door Stoick watched as they swooped down the steep hill toward the ships, his heart in his throat and a fatherly fear he felt only once before took him. This was just like watching Hiccup and Toothless take on Red Death. He only hoped it didn't come with the same consequences or anything worse. Taking a deep breath he tried to remind himself that Hiccup had grown up a look since then, he wasn't that clumsy little boy who couldn't listen or follow orders anymore. He was a leader now and while he was not the best fighter on the ground he was the best warrior with his dragon and he had Toothless who would look after him just like with Red Death and everything that had happened since. He would have to rely on Toothless and Dagur to take care of his boy.

. . .

The cream of an approaching Nightfury was all the warning the Outcasts had before a series of plasma blasts took out four boats and sent countless Outcasts diving into the shallow waters, not exactly the wakeup call any of them anticipated but as Toothless banked to the left and turned to deliver another round they were scrambling for their weapons and aiming catapults and bolas at them. Toothless only managed one more shot before having to shoot skyward to dodge oncoming projectiles, not willing to allow harm to come to his rider or his friend. Once a safe distance he banked again and went straight down, aiming for Alvin the Treacherous's flag ship and just before he reached the range of their weapons, fired another blast of plasma then rolled and headed back to the village.

The plasma blast took out the mast and sent the Viking diving into the water but only managed to enrage Alvin all the more. He glared after the dragon and two boys, his eyes narrowed and hands squeezing the rails of his ship even as it began to slowly sink. Enough was enough. He was going to kill that dragon and make Dagur suffer for denying him the Berk boy, but Hiccup…oh he had special plans for Hiccup, one that would ensure Hiccup never ever messed with him again. The Dragon Conqueror would be his one way or another.

. . .

Dagur was laughing hysterically when Toothless landed in the center of town. He jumped off the dragon's back and thrust his sword in the air as he crowed happily. "Five ships! With all your dragons we could take them out without so much as lifting a sword," he laughed as he turned to Hiccup and Toothless. His brows bunched as he became thoughtful. "Of course what fun would that be? No blood shed."

Hiccup rolled his eyes as he leaned forward on Toothless's head but he couldn't help smiling just a little. "Of course if we take out all their ships then they'll be stuck here and you'll never get arid of them," he pointed out.

The other boy swung his sword, seemingly more than happy with that idea. "I could hunt them and hang their heads from the archways and…"

"Yep, just the thing you want Cora and the kids seeing."

"It'll make them tough like… Down!"

Hiccup gave a surprised cry as Dagur tackled him and Toothless, managing to knock them down as a flaming boulder slammed into a building a feet from where they were standing. Warriors scrambled in every direction to avoid the boulder. There were screams and cries from the villagers as the rushed to make sure no one was in the building and quickly put out the flames. Thankfully no one was hurt but that didn't stop Hiccup from staring at the carnage in horror. Seconds later another boulder whizzed by and struck another building. Or at least that's what Hiccup thought until he heard the roar of dragons. He saw Dagur jumped to his feet and grab his crossbow from across his back and aim it skyward. Hiccup jumped to his feet as well and instantly went to knock the crossbow aside.

"Remember, the dragons are on our side," he said, stopping the young chieftain from firing at the Berk dragons. Except these weren't Berk's dragons. Hiccup's eyes widened when he listened to the dragons roar and realized just what they were dealing with. He looked up to see the white form of Screaming Death and a vast number of Whispering Deaths and Changlings. "Except those ones," he breathed as he took a quick head count of dragons. There was at least three to one and all of these were wild and chasing after livestock and people alike. This was bad…this was very, very bad.

Thankfully Stoick and the other riders saw what was going on and rushed to intervene. They couldn't exactly run the dragons off but they did give the beasts better targets than the town. The dragons chased them into the clouds where an aerial battle took place. Sadly it took away the Berserkers' aerial support. Toothless growled and got to his feet, wiggling his bottom and flexing his wings in his way of telling Hiccup to hop on so that they could join the battle.

"Sorry, bud, but we've got bigger fish to fry," Hiccup explained as he mounted the dragon. It was a good thing too because the Outcasts stormed the beach and were already making their way up to the village using the wild dragons as a distraction.

Dagur gave a war cry that was echoed by his warriors as they charged downhill to meet the oncoming army. Hiccup was frozen for a moment, horrified by the clashing of swords and cries of wounded but he shook it off. The Berserkers needed him and he wasn't about to let Dagur down.

"Come on, Toothless," he breathed as he locked his prosthetic foot into place once more. They took to the sky, offering cover fire as he searched out Alvin. He had finally made up his mind. If Alvin wanted him and Toothless then he was about to get them.

They flew just above the Berserkers, firing at as many Outcasts as they could before they could attack the Berserkers but there was a bloodlust in the air coming from both sides and there was no avoiding the bloodbath as Berserkers and Outcast alike fell to blades and arrows or clubs. It was a horrifying sight but no more so than when several of the wild dragons escaped the riders, most likely attracted by the scent of blood, and began attacking all the Vikings. Thankfully Stoick came after it on Thornado and took them down along with Snotlout before too many people fell due to them. It was a horrible sight, one that Hiccup would not soon forget and it took a lot of concentration to remember his goal of finding Alvin and facing him head on. If he could find the crazed lunatic leading this campaign then maybe he could end this and save everyone before Berserker Island was nothing but a pool of blood and gore.

His shoulders squared when he finally spotted Alvin further down the hill as if waiting for him. He got low on Toothless, his finger curling on the saddle as he settled on his goal. It was time to put a stop on Alvin once and for all. "Let's get him."

Alvin smiled widely when he spotted Hiccup and his dragon flying straight for him. He threw down his crossbow and waited for the dragon to get close. He didn't flinch or dodge as the Nightfury fired plasma blast after plasma blast at him, each shot just narrowly missing him and scorching the ground all around him and waited until the dragon was just about to pass overhead before throwing a lassoed bola and ensnaring Toothless's tail. Using his great weight to his advantage he swung dragon and boy toward the ground. He laughed went they hit the hard packed earth. His glee only grew when he noticed Hiccup pinned under his beast, his metal foot obviously trapped in the device controlling the dragon's prosthetic tail fin.

"Well this must be my lucky day," Alvin purred as he stalked toward the fallen duo. He unsheathed his sword as he neared the dragon, ready to kill it to get to his goal.

"Toothless…Toothless, get up, bud. We've got to move," Hiccup urged as he fought to get a get a good aim with his crossbow without hurting his friend. With his leg trapped beneath the dragon that was next to impossible and Alvin was getting closer.

Toothless snarled and opened his mouth to let loose another plasma blast but before he could Alvin yanked on the bola so hard it threw him and Hiccup in the opposite direction, dislodging the trapped metal foot and separating the two. Toothless crashed into a well while Hiccup slammed into a pillar in a tangled mess of limps and armor, the only thing saving him being the helmet. Nonetheless the youth didn't get up, didn't move and for once Alvin was certain the boy was his.

"Kill the animal, the brat's mine," he snarled to Savage as he sauntered toward Hiccup. Finally the Dragon Conqueror was his.


	13. Chapter 13

Breathers 13

"HICCUP!" yelled Stoick, having seen his son be thrown from Toothless by Alvin. He pulled on Thornado's reigns, trying to get his dragon to alter course in order to help the boy but before he could get more than a few yards the Screaming Death attacked and he was forced to go higher into the air rather than lower as his dragon became spooked by the serpent like creature before roaring in rage and giving chase. No amount of hugging or pull could make Thornado change direction and Stoick could only pray that his son could handle himself until he got there.

The cry travelled throughout the dragon riders, each teen worried about their young leader but none of them could do anything to help, each tasked with their own duties and stopped at each attempt to get anywhere near Hiccup or Toothless. Hiccup was on his own.

. . .

Dagur slashed the belly of one of the Outcasts, blocking the man's strike with his sword before twisting and plunging his dagger deep into the man's gut. He twisted again, yanking free his blade before lunging upward and burying it into another Outcast's throat before he even had a chance to strike. He blocked another strike but this time his sword was knocked out his hand, he blocked with his dagger as he reached for his battle axe and swung it around to take the Outcast's arm. He kicked the man away and scooped up his sword, ready for his next opponent when he heard Stoick's bellow. He froze where he stood, an unusual fear gripping his heart as he heard the elder chieftain yell out Hiccup's name only for it to be echoed by the teen riders.

Looking around he tried to spot either Hiccup or his dragon but in the sea of warriors, most of which were considerably taller than him, he could see nothing but bodies, the clash of weapons and bloodshed. Wherever Hiccup was he had to be further downhill. Shoving people out of his way and stabbing those who refused, Dagur made his way to the town square and clambered up a statue of Thor in order to get a better view of the situation at hand. It took a moment to get his bearings but soon enough he spotted Toothless halfway down the hill, not far from his uncle's house but he could not see Hiccup. He did however see Alvin and the man looked like the cat who just caught the canary which meant Hiccup must be somewhere close to him. With a battle cry Dagur jumped down and charged forward, slashing and stabbing all who dared get in his way. He was thrown to the side by battling warriors, often caught off guard and not truly targeted only getting in combatants' way. It threw his sense of direction off but he still hurried forward until he could see Toothless. Two Outcasts stood over the fallen dragons, swords and axes posed to kill the beast. Dagur didn't stop to think, he pulled his crossbow off his back, loaded it and fired at the first man. The arrow went deep in the man's side, causing him to drop his weapon and stagger back. Dagur didn't stop to reload instead he dropped the crossbow and kept running, this time tossing throwing knives as the two men until they ran off. Skidding to a halt he cut the ropes off Toothless and freed the dragon, not once questioning what he was doing until after the animal was on his feet and spreading his wings.

"Where's Hiccup?" he demanded, looking around to find his friend, hoping to spot a familiar green tunic. But there was no green tunic to be seen. Hiccup's tunic had been destroyed and the younger boy now looked like any other Berserker only smaller but even then there was no sign of him or Alvin.

. . .

Hiccup shook his head groggily, his head spinning but otherwise unharmed. The rest of him however felt like one big bruise. Nonetheless he pushed himself to his hands and knees and fought back the urge to vomit. He'd had bad landings before but this one took the cake. He only had a moment to collect himself before a dark shadow descend upon him, far too large to be anyone but one of two men. Drawing his shield he had only a split second to defend himself as a sword came down on him but the blow was enough to sprawl him back on the ground and nearly sprain his wrist as he held the ornate shield.

"You can come with me in one piece or many little pieces, Hiccup," Alvin sneered as he grabbed the shield, trying to yank it out of the boy's hand.

Hiccup gave a gasp of pain but he managed to activate the trigger nonetheless. The middle of the shield shot out, smashing into Alvin's face and making the large man stagger back several feet, giving the young heir just enough time to catch his breath and convert the shield into its crossbow form. Loading it quickly he fired an arrow at Alvin, getting a lucky shot when it went through the man's shoulder. Unfortunately this only enraged the Outcast leader and before Hiccup could fire a second round he found himself flying backward and crashing through a door and into someone's burning house. He rolled with the fall but his shield was lost somewhere between the door and where he landed.

It took a moment to catch his breath. The house was in flames and Hiccup could barely see through the smoke which meant Alvin would have a much harder time finding him, assuming he dared enter the building. That gave Hiccup a little bit of a reprieve and he took advantage of that as he tried to catch his breath and get back to his feet. He staggered a moment before ducking down to keep below the smoke. Okay, there had to be another way out, a way that didn't lead right back to Alvin. He hoped Toothless was safe, prayed he could find his way back to his most faithful friend but first he had to get out.

"HELP ME! SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF HERE!" someone yelled from Hiccup's right.

He looked around, half expecting to see someone in the chaotic remains of the building. Coughing, Hiccup crawled away from the door, reaching out and feeling around for guidance as he made his way toward the back of the building and hopefully escape while he searched for whoever was calling for help. Then he spotted a familiar bearskin rug with the cellar hidden beneath. It was Mildew calling for help. He hesitated, an old hurt and hatred momentarily filling him. After everything Mildew had done to him and Toothless, all the frame ups, all the hate mongering, betrayal and hurtful things he said, after everything Mildew had done to him it would serve the man right to burn to death. But Hiccup wasn't like that. He could never let anyone suffer in such a way. Throwing back the bear rug he unlocked and opened the door. Then, legs shaky and chest hurting, he slowly slid inside and made his way down the wooden steps.

It was much cooler in the cellar compared to the insufferable heat of the growing flames above but it was only a matter of time before the fire reached the cellar and the whole building came down. Mildew was still tied to a chair but he was clearly panicking as swirls of smoke and bright embers lined the ceiling above him. Hiccup would be panicking too if he were in the same situation.

The old man didn't recognize Hiccup at first. He struggled with the ropes binding him and glanced up with wide frightened eyes at the ceiling as it groaned. "Please, please untie me," he begged, looking ready to have a heart attack at any moment.

"It's alright, it's alright, stay still," Hiccup coughed as he moved behind Mildew to cut the ropes loose.

The man stilled and looked up, not recognizing the armor but knowing full well who the voice belonged to. "Hiccup? Lad, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for all those hateful things I said. Help me and I'll make it up to you, I promise, son. I'll make it up to you."

It was a lie but Hiccup freed him anyway. He patted the man on the back the moment all the ropes were all cut, his throat tingling from the smoke he had inhaled while up above. "Go," he urged as he stood.

Mildew didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed his staff and hurried up the steps, his limp barely noticeable in his rush. Hiccup took a moment to gather his wits before he followed Mildew up, secretly thankful that the old man hadn't betrayed him yet again and locked him in the cellar. Getting back to the main floor was a struggle and by the time Hiccup got there his bad leg was shaking uncontrollably, not doubt the prosthetic damaged when he was thrown off Toothless. Regardless he followed Mildew, wanting to make sure the old man made it out safe but he didn't get far before he was yanked off his feet by a large hand around his neck. Hiccup cried out, accidently inhaling smoke and choking on it.

"Hiccup!" Mildew yelled in surprise before realizing it was Alvin who had the boy. He backed away, his eyes wide but knowing better than to mess with the Outcast leader. He hesitated only a moment before turning tail and running out of the house.

So much for making it up to Hiccup.

Hiccup struggled, his chest burning with every breath he managed to take in but Alvin's grip was relentless and Hiccup could only wonder why the man wasn't choking on the smoke as well. He wasn't given much time to think as he was shook roughly until he felt as if his head might pop off his shoulders.

"You can fight me all you want, boy but in the end I always get what I want," Alvin sneered as he shook Hiccup hard enough to nearly snap the child's neck. "You'll be training my dragons, boy, don't think for a second you won't. I'll break you if I must. You'll either train my dragons or entertain me. Don't matter none to me as long as you're not training these Berserkers to ride dragons."

"I'll never help you," Hiccup wheezed, giving up on breaking free and instead reaching for one of the many knives Dagur had tucked into his belt. He grabbed one and unsheathed it. Twisting it in his hand he stabbed backward and buried it to the hilt in Alvin's side.

The large man roared in outrage and threw the boy against a nearby wall, knocking the air out of Hiccup's lungs. Enraged and more animal like than human the man ripped the blade from his stomach. Hi eyes flared with utter hatred as he stalked toward Hiccup, twirling the knife in his hand. "You've grown balls, Hiccup," he cooed, his anger ebbing some as admiration filled his voice. He knelt next to the future chieftain and brought the blade under his chin. "We could have made quite the team; you and your dragons and me and my knowledge of war. We could have taken control of all of Archipelago. A shame that the only way to get what I want is to break that accursed spirit of yours." He ran the blade along Hiccup's cheek, spreading his blood over the boy's soot covered cheek, along the edge of the horned helmet. "But I promise, we'll have a lot of fun together while I do it."

Hiccup wasn't quite sure of the meaning of his words but he could wager a guess and it sickened him. He reached for a second knife and stabbed just as he had with the first but this time Alvin anticipated the blow and grabbed his wrist, twisting it painfully but while he did that Hiccup caught him off guard and hit him with one well placed kick from his metal leg to the knife wound in Alvin's belly. The man howled in agony and brought his sword down, ready to take the boy's head. Hiccup dodged to the side, the blade missing his neck and digging deep into his arm instead. He gave a cry but rolled out of the way of another blow and ducked toward to burning kitchen where timber was already beginning to fall. Given his options he didn't care. Death by fire or whatever horrors Alvin had planned for him? Fire looked a hell of a lot more welcoming.

Breathing became harder as the smoke thickened but Hiccup used it to his advantage. He hid in the darkness, sword drawn and waited for Alvin to make his move. He didn't have to wait long as the man lumbered into the room like a wild boar ready to take his head and end his life. This was no longer about training dragons but blood. Alvin was going to kill him even if it meant him dying as well.

Fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword Hiccup winced through the smoke and waited for Alvin, watching for large booted feet. His took small breathes and ready himself for the large man and just when he thought the man had given up there was an unmistakable crunch of boots over broken pottery. He swung and nearly cheered when the blade met flesh and Alvin again howled in pain unfortunately Hiccup was not prepared for Alvin to retaliate so quickly. Before he could move or try to escape a blade was shoved into his side, just above his hip, missing bone but cutting deeply. Hiccup screamed in pain but he fought against the instinct to yank the blade out and curl in on himself and instead pushed his sword deeper into Alvin then shoved away from the man to disappear further into the smoke. This time Alvin didn't chase after him. He heard the man holler and stagger about before shoving open the back door and fleeing for his life. He the distance he could be heard bellowing for Savage and calling a retreat.

Timber fell all around Hiccup as he waited, fearful that Alvin or one of his men might come back for him but when minutes ticked by and no one came he grasped the nearest wall, ignoring the burning heat that scorched his hands, and slowly but surely made his way back to the front of the building. He paused at the open entrance and gulped in lungs full of fresh air.

Outcasts were on the run while Berserkers and Hooligans cheered merrily. It brought a tired smile to Hiccup's face as he staggered out onto the street. His hand covered his wound, hiding it from sight as Toothless bounded to him and bleated in worry before his large head nuzzled Hiccup's.

"Hey, bud, I'm okay," Hiccup said with a tiny sigh as he gave a one armed hug to his dragon. "I'm okay." He didn't feel okay but that didn't matter. He was the son of Stoick the Vast and injured or not he would show a strong face in front of his friends and people, regardless if they were Hooligans or Berserkers. Of course he couldn't help the yelp that escaped him when Dagur rushed up to him and lifted him off his feet and gave him a twirl.

"Hiccup! You did it! You defeated Alvin the Treacherous!" he yelled in a voice so loud that it hurt Hiccup's ears.

Hiccup gave a grunt of pain but quickly schooled his face as the other Vikings gathered around them. Dizziness filled Hiccup at the thousands of faces staring at him, many covered in blood or soot, sweat and dirt but all very happy as Dagur crowed triumphantly. Hiccup was never so happy to have Dagur holding him up, rather the other boy realized it or not.

"This is a great day for Berserkers everywhere," Dagur yelled, raising Hiccup's arm for all to see him. "We have pushed back the Outcasts, proven that we are as strong and powerful as our fathers before us. They will remember this day for generations to come, when Berserk joined with her sister tribe from the north to rebel their forces. When the Hope of Heir of the Hooligans best a man four times his size and forced Alvin the Treacherous to retreat!" He yanked Hiccup up to his toes and waved his arm to show that the two tribes were indeed a united front.

Hiccup tried to smile past the pain but his sight blurred and his bad leg gave out and before he could utter a word blackness consumed him and the pain faded away.


	14. Chapter 14

Brothers 14

Everything happened so fast. One moment they were celebrating their victory over the Outcasts the next Hiccup was collapsing. The only thing that kept the smaller youth from hitting the ground being Dagur's firm grip on his hand as he held their hands high for all to see. He caught Hiccup as the young heir's bad leg gave out, causing him to unconsciously swing into Dagur's chest where the older boy held him at a lost as to what had happened.

At first Dagur's cheeks flamed in embarrassment, thinking Hiccup had fainted like some pampered girl who had never been in battle before. Outrage filled him and he would have shaken Hiccup if his hand didn't come across blood steadily flowing from both Hiccup's arm and side, soaking into the fabric and turning it and Hiccup's pale skin red, then panic took over Dagur and he was screaming.

"Harold! Find the shaman. Hiccup? Hiccup! Wake up! Open your eyes," he yelled, not sure what else to do. Fear filled him as a memory of not so long ago hit him…of losing his cousin, Victor and being forced to watch as the younger boy fell to his death and a helplessness he swore never ever to feel again. But Dagur was helpless. He wasn't a shaman, he knew nothing of healing or medicine, he was a warrior, all he knew was death and destruction and chaos but none of that was any use to him now. "STOICK! STOICK!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Easy, lad, easy," Gobber said in a calm and fatherly voice as he made his way through the crowd to the two boys. He squatted down to Dagur height and held out his arms. "Give him to me, Dagur. I know what to do."

For a moment Dagur clung to Hiccup, feeling the first sting of tears since the day he killed his father and he nearly refused to hand his brother to Gobber. He wouldn't lose Hiccup like he had Victor. Hiccup who had finally proved himself, who wasn't afraid of dragons or Outcasts, how was so tiny it hurt to think of anything bad every really happening to him, who would one day lead his people just as Dagur led his, who was a hero in every sense of the word.

"Dagur," Gobber tried again, his voice still calm and encouraging. "I was the one who built Hiccup's fake leg. He trusts me, you should too."

Reluctantly Dagur gave up his hold on Hiccup and let the blacksmith take Hiccup from him and stepped back. He hugged himself, feeling utterly small and useless as the large man carefully picked up Hiccup, listened to his heart with a frown and then carried him away from the burning building and to the town center where Stoick and the dragon riders were landing.

"Dagur," Gobber called when the young chieftain didn't immediately follow. "Lad, find some clean clothes and have someone boil water. The rest of you get these fires under control, move it!"

Dagur glanced to one of his men, silently transferring the orders to him. Two men took off to fetch the much needed items as many others hurried to deal with the out of control fires before they spread to the untouched buildings but many were, including Dagur were too shell shocked by Hiccup's collapse to do any more than stare on in horror. Dagur slowly made his way to his fallen friend, his feet dragging behind him as his stomach knotted. Even though he knew Hiccup was safe with the blacksmith it felt as if he was combing the rocky shore line searching for Victor's body and then having to bring it all the way home and breaking the news to his aunt and uncle that their only child was gone. He did not want to be the one to break such news to Stoick.

Gobber laid Hiccup on the ground, making sure he was flat. He gently removed the helmet from the child's head and set it aside then brought his ear close to Hiccup's mouth, needing to listen carefully and ignore all the ruckus, especially when Stoick came running to them with the Berk teens in tow. He raised a hand to stop them and gestured for everyone to stay silent. Hiccup wasn't breathing.

"No, no, no, no, no, no…" he mumbled to himself as he straightened and stared down at the bruised and soot covered face. The child's hair was matted to his head and covered in sweat was there wasn't an ounce of life in him. Fumbling, Gobber searched for a pulse, his large fingers feeling for the large vein on the boy's thin neck. When he found it the pulse was faint, barely even there and not steady. But Hiccup was alive…but he wouldn't be for much longer if he didn't work quickly. His gaze met Stoick's and he showed the other man his fear and worry.

Stoick's eyes widened and he got to his knees, ready to do whatever was necessary to save his boy. But from the corner of his eye he spotted the last person he ever wanted to see again, Mildew. The old man looked just as dirty as Hiccup but his face was nearly pale as he looked out through the crowd at what was transpiring with Hiccup, an unusual look of guilt and horror on his wrinkled face. Stoick turned away from him, not acknowledging his presence openly but he did gesture to Gobber and quietly motioned for the other man to look over his shoulder to where Mildew was trying to stay unseen.

"Oh," Gobber mouthed in sudden understanding. His eyes brightened slightly before he put on a grim face. "Where is that water?!" he demanded as Stoick pressed on Hiccup's small chest, placing pressure on his lungs in hopes of getting the smoke and soot out of his lungs and get him to start breathing again.

"Come on, son, just a little breath," Stoick pleaded, his voice a little louder than needed. He pressed his lips to his son's and breathed in a lung full of air, making the boy's chest rise but it did no good and Stoick was nearly beside himself having thought that maybe, just maybe, Hiccup wasn't so bad off. "No, Hiccup…" Then a soft, barely audible wheeze escaped the boy. Stoick looked to Gobber with sudden hope. That faded as Gobber's look turned far grimmer than he had ever seen it.

"Dagur, where is your shaman?" the blacksmith demanded in outrage, swinging his hook hand toward the Berserker chief. "We're losing him!"

Dagur's face paled and he began yelling at his men, shoving people out of the way in his search for the shaman only to learn that the elder had been killed in the battle. He turned back to Gobber and Stoick, his face white as a sheet and nearly ready to pass out himself. Stoick couldn't blame him, he felt very much the same even though he could clearly hear his son's shallow wheezy breaths. He looked to Gobber who was fussing over the deep gashes to Hiccup's arm and side, pressing clothes to the wounds and starching them.

"He's losing too much blood, Stoick. I can't possibly stop it all and get him breathing. Here, tie this," Gobber said, shoving a ball of fabric in Stoick's shaking hands. His voice lowered as their heads came lose. "Just go with it," he said softly. "Mildew's gone a running, no doubt to tell Alvin the Dragon Conqueror is dead. Just keep it up a little longer and we'll be in the clear."

Stoick stared at him, unable to believe what he was saying but quickly nodded. This had been the plan he had to begin with but had literally forgotten after seeing just how bad off Hiccup was. It took effort but he managed to steady his hands as he wrapped his son's arm in bandages, managing to temporarily starch the bleeding. Together with Gobber they managed to get the armor off Hiccup and lift the tunic enough to see the damaged to his side. Here the flow of blood was far worse and if not dealt with quickly would cause him to bleed to death. It was surprising that he hadn't already. Here they had no choice but to immediately stitch it shut but what if there was internal damage? What if he bled to death from the inside? They needed a healer but the Berserkers only shaman was dead and the next closest was way off in Berk. All Stoick could do was hold the thick cotton cloth to the gash and pray that the damage wasn't more serious but with how pale Hiccup was becoming it was only a matter of time before death took him.

. . .

Mildew hobbled as quickly as he could toward the shore where the Outcasts ships were leaving one by one and heading back to Outcast Island. His heart raced and he knew he had to choice but to leave. If Stoick found him he with sentenced to death, either beheaded or hung for his betrayal, especially now that Hiccup was gone. Guilt filled him. A part of him, the old warrior side that he normally took great pride in, said he should have stood up to Alvin and saved the boy. Sure he may have died himself but he had never signed up for killing the youth, just to get rid of him and his blasted dragon but this…this was too much. Hiccup was dead and the war between Berk and the Outcasts was just about to start unless…

He stumbled to a stop, clinging to his staff as he noticed Alvin being carted off onto a ship on a make-shift stretcher by two large Outcasts. He couldn't tell if the Outcast chief was dead or not but the look wasn't good. Hiccup had done this? Hiccup had managed to take out Alvin the Treacherous.

"Where have you been?" snapped Savage as he limped up the hill to Mildew. "We're about to cast off. We'll get Alvin back to our island and then regroup and…"

"He's dead," Mildew said quickly, his eyes wide at the sight of Alvin.

Savage shook his head. "Nah, Alvin's been through worse. He'll heal and we'll be back here in a matter of days."

"No," Mildew said quickly. "Hiccup…Hiccup is dead."

Savage stared at him as if not comprehending his words. Mildew shook his head in annoyance and moved toward the ships only to be stopped by Savaged. "Then you're of no use to us anymore," Savage said, his voice a growl. "When Alvin learns Hiccup's dead he'll blame it all on you. You're better off stealing a ship and exiling yourself before Stoick finds you."

The old man could only stare at him with wide pale eyes as the warrior hurried to his ship, yelling out last minute orders to the Outcasts before leaving the island. Mildew felt his heart drop into his stomach and glanced back up to the village where the towns people had gathered around their fallen hero then looked back to the retreating ships, trapped between the two and the need for self-preservation. Then he gave a sigh. Hiccup had risked his life to save him. If Mildew ran then it would only give Stoick more reason to kill him, if he tried to help maybe, just maybe, Stoick would spare him. So with a deep breath he made his way back up the hill and hoped that he would make it in time. He'd be no better off if the boy was already in Valhalla.

Shoving his way past people he slowly made his way to the inner circle where Stoick and Gobber were still working on the boy. "Out of my way," he growled at people, not afraid to thump one of the riders with his staff, young Snotlout if he wasn't mistaken, to get where needed to be. He let out a cry when Dagur grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the ground, sword instantly at his throat. Mildew raised his hands in surrender. "Easy, lad, easy. I'm here to help," he spoke quickly, his fear growing when Snotlout and the twins joined Dagur, their weapons drawn.

Stoick glanced toward him, an angry frown on his face that quickly turned to surprise and then hope. "Let him up," he yelled to the teens. "Quickly now. Hiccup doesn't have time for your games."

Dagur jumped in surprise and whirled around to stare at the other chief. He pointed to Gobber with wide eyes. "But he said…"

"Gobber says many things, now let Mildew up," Stoick said firmly.

Snotlout grabbed Mildew by the scruff and hauled him up along with Tuffnut and half dragged the old man to Stoick. Mildew shook them off and gave a tired sigh before kneeling next to Hiccup. The boy was incredibly pale and gasping for breath even though he was unconscious. His condition was only worsening in Mildew's opinion even though he had not been privileged enough to see the boy before he had reported Hiccup's death to Savage. One thing was for sure, neither Stoick nor Gobber had been able to stop the flow of blood from Hiccup's side.

Squaring his shoulders Mildew took the rag from Hiccup side and inspected it. He almost sighed in relief. Things looked far worse than it actually was and he might have laughed if it weren't his ticket to saving his life. Yes, the bleeding was bad and yes Hiccup could die if not dealt with immediately but a simply scolding hot sword would have sealed the wound – although he highly doubted Stoick would agree to doing that a second time to his son, especially after Gobber had to do that to Hiccup's stump only a year previous. It would have to be stitched.

Lowering his staff he began dismantling it. "Hold him steady, Stoick. This is bound to hurt…a lot."

Stoick nodded and carefully slipped a dagger between Hiccup teeth for him to bite down on should the pain become too much even in his coma. Then he placed his son's head on his lap as he had before and held him, cooing softly when the child jerked as his injuries were probed and prodded and eventually stitched closed. The whole time Mildew hummed to himself, ignoring Toothless who seemed intent on staying next to his rider or the near panicky shuffling of Dagur off to one side, not even the mumbling of the teens moved his focus from the work before him until finally he bit the heavy fishing line he had used to close the wound. He moved from next to the boy's arm and stitched it closed as well. Once the bleeding was stopped the big worries were over and the enter village seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. But Hiccup's breathing was still far from normal and there was a rattling sound with every shallow breath he drew. There were a number of broken ribs that needed wrapping and possible blood in his lungs. One, if not both, may have been punctured and if that was the case then the boy may yet die. Unfortunately that type of damage was beyond Mildew and he would have to pray and hope that the child survived because if Hiccup died now than everyone would blame Mildew and his death was certain. All he could do was help Gobber wrap Hiccup's ribs and hope for the best while Stoick fussed like an anxious and terrified father.

However no one was expecting the devastating effects Hiccup's injuries would have on Dagur or just how much his already unstable mind would take a nose dive into something truly frightening.


	15. Chapter 15

Brothers 15

**Trigger warnings, mentions of rape and past abuse. Yeah they may have been mentioned in previous chapters but this will be a little more detailed.**

It was Mildew's idea to try water, just a little, no more than a teaspoon but it was enough. The water hit the back of Hiccup's throat and rather than automatically swallowing it the child jerked and eyes flew open in panic and the next thing anyone knew the boy was on his side throwing up soot and bile until there was nothing but clear liquid left before collapsing once more in his father's arms with a muffled whine that had Stoick smiling and Gobber flabbergasted.

"Well I be," Gobber said, giving Mildew a rare smile. "That wasn't water, was it?"

The old man gave a little shrug as he reattached the dragon teeth to his staff and got shakily to his feet. "There's still a lot of damage but if he could throw all that up than his lungs will be fine in a few days," he said, surprising himself with how relieved he felt that the child would heal. Sure he still didn't like Hiccup, found him annoying as hell but he was a good lad and did not deserve what Alvin had planned for him. Alvin wanted more than a dragon tamer from Hiccup. Maybe at first that was his goal but when the boy continuously outsmarted him those thoughts became darker and sadistic and it actually frightened Mildew a little.

Turning on his heel Mildew shuffled away, intent on finding a boat and sailing away. To where he wasn't sure but he was not ready to go back to Berk, not yet any way. He only had a few years left of his life if he was lucky, he might as well make the most of it.

"Mildew," Stoick said, his voice firm but face soft and exhausted looking. It was still early in the morning but it might as well have been well past nightfall. Mildew stopped and looked back at his former chief. Stoick didn't look like the might leader of the Hooligans but a relieved father wanting to express his gratitude. "Thank you."

Mildew gave a nod before hobbling away in search of a boat. Sadly there were few left floating in the harbor and it would be days before he found a way off the island that didn't include returning to Berk, but it wouldn't be all bad after he was reunited with his sheep – thanks to Astrid, but he would never admit that.

The Berserkers constructed a number of stretchers to help carry their injured into what was left of the Great Hall, one of the few building not to be completely destroyed in the battle. Gobber carefully lifted Hiccup onto one as Stoick held his head and then the two carried him to the Great Hall as well and laid him in a private corner where they could take turns watching over the boy. But Gobber, being one of the few with any form of medical training, was called upon to help others injured and left Stoick alone with Hiccup.

"Oh son," Stoick murmured as he sat next to the boy. He placed his large hand on the child's forehead, feeling for a temperature and thankful when he found none. Relieved he took a damp cloth and began cleaning Hiccup's soot covered face, remembering when the child was small and defenseless and not quite so brave. There were times Stoick missed those days, preferring to have the boy under lock and key where he was safe from harm.

"Sir?" Fishlegs said so softly it took a moment for Stoick to realize the teens were surrounding him.

"How is he?" Astrid asked, her voice a little choked as she gazed down at Hiccup with teary eyes.

"Is he going to be…" started Tuffnut.

"Alright?" finished Ruffnut.

Snotlout looked uncomfortably as he looked down at his cousin. "Is it me or does he look worse than when he faced Red Death?" he asked, looking a little green under the gills himself.

"Snotlout!" Astrid snapped, shoving the dark haired boy.

"Relax, the lot of you," Stoick ordered as he stood and dusted himself off. "Hiccup will be fine. He just needs his rest. Astrid, would you mind looking after him for me while I survey the damage? Thank you."

Astrid only nodded and took up his spot while Stoick slipped past the other teens and looked around. There were many injured warriors and everyone was trying to help everyone since there was no shaman or healer available. The dead were carted off and stored somewhere else while the elders and children slowly filed into the Great Hall but through it all someone very important was missing. Pausing next to Harold he placed a hand on the Berserker's second-in-command.

"Where's Dagur?" he asked, curious as to why the young chieftain wouldn't be helping his people in their time of need.

Harold didn't look up from the woman he was stitching. "Probably talking with his father," he said as he stabbed a needle into torn flesh and pulled it back against the other side of the gash.

Stoick froze in surprise, having thought Oswald the Agreeable to have been killed by Dagur. At least that's what Hiccup had made it sound like. He hadn't seen Oswald since his arrival but then things had been rather chaotic. Had Oswald really retired and handed his entire tribe to his rather unstable son? "Where?" he asked, knowing Dagur's home had been one of the ones destroyed by the wild dragons before the riders had chased them away.

Harold gestured toward the east. "Not far from the arena." He paused in his work to look up but Stoick was already making his way to the blown open double doors. "Stoick, wait… Damn." Well there was no time to stop Stoick the Vast so instead he focused on the job at hand. There were hundreds of Vikings in need of his help. This time Dagur would have to fend for himself.

. . .

Stoick was almost excited to see his old friend. He had so many questions that needed to be answered that he couldn't count on Dagur to answer when questioned. No, he needed to speak with Oswald and convince him to take back the reigns from Dagur, give the boy more time to grow up and become a proper chieftain.

Periodically Stoick would glance over his shoulder to make sure the Outcasts were indeed leaving. All the boats that had not sunk were gone now, far off in the horizon and barely visible against the reflection of the glittering sun. That was a great relief and Stoick couldn't help but smile at the thought that despite the fierce battle it had been Hiccup who had driven them away. He boy was proving to be quite the young warrior.

He paused as he neared the dragon arena, spotting one a many tall statues he had not given mind to before. Many were of past chieftains and great heroes to the Berserkers but it was one that he never noticed before that stood out to him, a statue of Oswald the Agreeable facing out toward sea and overlooking the village below. He inhaled deeply, knowing what a statue of a chieftain meant. Oswald was indeed dead. Nonetheless he moved closer when he noticed a form cloaked in shadow knelt before it and the murmuring of an all too familiar voice.

"I'm sorry. I should have listened. I should have thought but all I knew was anger. They embarrassed me, lied to me and I was just so angry," Dagur's voice carried over the short distance separating him from Stoick, not once noticing he was no longer alone. He looked up imploringly at the statue of his father. "I never meant for this to happen! He wasn't supposed to get hurt. He's my brother, you told me to look out for him. Even when things got bad I did as you asked. I tried. I always tried to keep him out of harm's way…away from potential danger just as I did Cora. I've done everything you've ever asked of me and still I fail! What am I doing wrong? Why do you continue to torment me like this? This is your fault, not mine. You started all this!" He hung his head as tears stung his eyes as he hugged himself. "Now he's my equal and you're going to take him from me. Am I always to suffer?"

Stoick listened, his concern for Dagur's mentality growing with every word spoken but he could see the child was suffering, no doubt affected far more deeply by Hiccup's near death than anyone would have ever thought. He hesitated, teetering from reacting as a chieftain or that of a parent seeing a child suffering. His fatherly instincts won over as he slowly and carefully approached Dagur, as if approaching a Whispering Death with the potential of being domesticated. "Dagur?" he said softly, his hands raised in front of him to show he was unarmed. Alright, so he had a sword strapped to his hip but at least it wasn't in his hands.

The boy didn't respond, obviously trapped in his own little world as he yelled and howled at the statue in rage and sorrow and so many emotions that Stoick couldn't help but questioned the boy's sanity. And then, as if all the energy had fled from him, Dagur caved in on himself and fell to his knees in tears and sobbed sorrowfully.

Stoick's heart went out to him. He couldn't possibly understand what had happened to this child to make him as he was or why he would yell and scream at a dead man but he knew a child suffering when he saw one. It had taken time, months of self-discovery and realization of what he had done to Hiccup before his child had proven that he didn't always know what was best for his child, that Hiccup had suffered loneliness and had self-confidence issues for a very long time. Would Hiccup have become as unstable as Dagur if Toothless had not come along?

"Dagur," he said again, almost within striking distance should the boy decide to attack but Dagur either did not hear him or ignored him and Stoick took another careful step forward until he was directly in front of the pitiful teen. Kneeling he took Dagur's shoulders in his heads and called to him once more. "Dagur."

Bright green eyes looked up at him, uncomprehending at first and to Stoick's utter surprise he found his arms full of Dagur. He held his breath expecting at any moment for the boy to make for his sword and plunge it into him but that never happened, instead Dagur clung to him as if the very world might fall out from under him if he should let go. So rather than shove the boy away Stoick held him close and let him sob.

"It's alright, Dagur. Hiccup will be alright, I promise," he said, gently pulling back to cup his cheek. "What happened isn't your fault. Alvin would have gone after him not matter where he was. This isn't the first time he tried to capture my son but if it weren't for you Hiccup may not have been able to defend himself, something I've tried for years to teach him to do. You might have saved his life."

Dagur sniffled and looked up in surprise. "Stoick?" he whispered, pulling away red faced and embarrassed. He raked a hand through his long red hair, untied and hanging tangled around his shoulders. "I…I need to go." He moved to pull completely away but Stoick's grip was firm and he could not escape and fear shone in his teary eyes.

"Dagur," Stoick continued, his voice never rising above a soft, gentle whisper. "What happened to your father? How did he die? Did you…"

The youth looked up at the statue but sorrow never left him. "Kill him? Yeah, I did…not that he gave me much of a choice. I'd do it again too if I had to." He finally escaped Stoick but rather than take off he pulled the fur over his shoulders tighter around him, as if suddenly very cold. He stood, his back to Stoick as he hugged himself.

"Dagur, your father and I were good friends," Stoick said as he too stood.

"Are you like him, then? You messing around with Hiccup like he did me?"

"I don't understand." His hand fell to the hilt of his sword as Dagur whirled around in a sudden rage.

"You know exactly what I mean," Dagur raged, his eyes unusually bright and insanity glowing brightly within. "When your wife abandoned the two of you did you use him like my father used me?"

Again Stoick had no clue what the boy was going on about. What did he mean "use him"?

"Well here's a little news flash for you, Stoick, that great man who was your friend was a sick, twisted, messed up, monster of a man. Oh sure he was great with keeping the peace but it came at a cost, not to you but to me," Dagur continued, pacing now as he swung one arm, as if swinging a sword that he clearly didn't have. "You don't get it, do you? When my mother was still alive he was like any other dad. He doted on me and took me everywhere and we were happy. Then mom got sick when she was giving birth to Cora and things began to change, he changed. At first he found a mistress, someone to take care of us but he tired of her…she was using him, the stupid witch. Then things just kept getting worse. He said it was my duty as his son to do as he asked, everything he asked. All the heirs had to do it for their chief, right?"

"Do what?" Stoick asked, still unsure what the boy was talking about.

"Please him."

Stoick's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Excuse me?"

Dagur didn't pay attention to him as he continued his rant. "I did everything he asked, even when it hurt and all I wanted to do was curl up and die but it was my duty, right? You do as your chief and father demands, right?"

Stoick said nothing, his confusion growing as a sense of dread made its way through his chest.

"And he said Hiccup would have to do it too…when he got to be my age and I believed him because your wife went missing and you never took another so it had to be true, right?" He stopped and looked Stoick in the eye. "But then Cora came of age and he was suddenly looking at her like he did me and I knew it was wrong. He was sick, I knew that by then but I was willing to let him abuse me as long as he left her alone. I told him as much and it led to a fight and then…I killed him. I wouldn't let him hurt Cora just as I won't let you hurt Hiccup."

It took a moment to process everything Dagur just said and once it made sense all Stoick could do was gape at the boy in horror. "He raped you?" he breathed, unable to believe what he just heard.

Dagur only stared at him and it was then he noticed the beating the child had taken during the battle. The boy shouldn't be scaling mountains and talking to statues, he should be at the Great Hall being tended to. Still there was the matter at hand and Stoick couldn't decide if the boy was telling him the truth or a lie. His eyes were so bright, so full of emotion that Stoick drew his sword and threw it between them.

"I've never done more than spank Hiccup the odd time but even then I feared I would hurt him. I would never dream of raping him or any other child. What your father did was wrong, Dagur. Children are not meant to pleasure their parents. They are meant to be loved and treasured not abused in such sick and twisted ways," he explained, his voice just as gentle and father like as before. "It's the parent's job to protect their children and keep them from harm's way, even if it means from themselves. You can ask Hiccup, I'm rather over protective at times."

"You've never harmed Hiccup like that?" Dagur asked suspiciously.

"Never. I wish I had known what was happening to you. You could have told me."

The young chief looked away. "You would never have believed me. My father was your friend, how's word would you have taken, an upset child who had lost his mother and was looking for attention or the wise old chieftain who was easy to please? Let's face it, Stoick, if I came to you, you would have thought I was insane…more so than you already do."

Stoick couldn't argue with that so he didn't. Instead he leaned against the statue and studied the youth, noting the slump in the boy's shoulders and the slight shiver that ran the length of him. The boy was exhausted and needed his injuries looked after but in the mood Dagur was obviously in there was no way the boy would go on his own. Despite his rather questionable mentality Dagur was a strong young man and exceptional warrior.

He gave a start when Toothless suddenly appeared and rubbed up against his hip with a mournful look in his large eyes. Stoick ran a hand over the dragon's head, lightly scratching. "I know, I know," he cooed to the worried animal. He was a little surprise that Toothless wasn't watching over Hiccup as he normally would but obviously he was just as worried about Dagur as Stoick was. "I'm going back to Hiccup in a moment. Dagur, I sorry. I wish I could have helped you but…I'm proud of you, son. You protected your sister, and my son, and defended your village like a true chieftain. I would be honored to sign the peace treaty with you this spring."

Dagur looked up in shock, his face turning bright red with embarrassment but he gave a curt nod before turning away and looking out over the remains of his village. "I could have done better," he murmured to himself as Stoick headed back down to the village and back to his injured child. Dagur wrapped the furs around him tighter as a brisk breeze swirled around him. A head bunt to the small of his back made him wince but he turned to the Nightfury behind him and gave a sigh as he petted the beast. "I could have done a lot better, huh?"

Toothless only bleated and rubbed against him. Dagur couldn't help but laugh. For a ferocious dragon that was supposed to be the spawn of lightning and death Toothless was more like an overgrown house cat. He smiled tiredly and pressed his face against the dragon's head much as he saw Hiccup do.

"I'm worried about Hiccup, too," he whispered. "Hopefully he wakes up soon." He ran his hand over Toothless's head and shoulders, noting the damaged harness no one had bothered to remove as well as the hardware that lined either side of his body which Hiccup used to control the prosthetic tail fin. He sighed again as he began removing it. Everything would have to be rebuilt and with Hiccup in a coma there was no telling how long that would be. He paused when he went to remove one of the rods. It was bent pretty bad and had torn into the dragon's side causing Toothless to bleed. It was already starting to heal but pulling the rod out would cause it to bleed all over again. He inspected the wound, noting just how deep and how bad it was, nothing like Hiccup's but it would need to be cauterized and he couldn't do that there. Thankfully the dragon arena had everything he needed. Another thought hit him as he guided Toothless toward the ring, something he had completely forgotten about since the fake dragon attack on Berk when he went to sign the peace treaty. A smile lit his face as he patted Toothless's side just above the wound. The dragon gave a growl but it wasn't threatening only a warning. It made Dagur smile a little more. "I think I know the perfect gift for Hiccup and Stoick. You want to help?"

Toothless eyed him curiously as Dagur opened the door to the storage room and began rummaging through shelves, pulling out a torch, a sword, and two ornate jars. His head tilted to the side as the boy lit the torch and leaned the blade of the sword over it. Then, much to Toothless's discomfort, yanked out the horrid rod piercing his side, reopening the wound and causing it to bleed once more. Toothless gave a howl of pain that echoed throughout the arena and down to the village below.

. . .

In the Great Hall Hiccup's eyes fluttered open for only a moment at the cry of his best friend. "Toothless…" he breathed as he fought to regain consciousness and save his friend. Astrid caught him by the shoulders and forced him to lay still as the other riders rushed to see what was wrong. Consciousness fled once more as everything fell silent and dread filled the blackness enveloping Hiccup's mind. Where was Toothless? What had happened to him?


	16. Chapter 16

Brothers 16

It was a day later before Hiccup fully woke up. During that time he would wake up periodically, crying out for either his father or Toothless or sometimes his long lost mother. Nobody really heard him, his voice raw and throat burned from inhaling so much smoke while fighting Alvin. His voice was barely above a whisper and one would not know he had spoken if they weren't leaning over him. On more than one occasion Stoick had to lean in close in order to try and hear what his child was saying but by the time he did Hiccup was already dozing off again. The other dragon riders had been sent out to help rebuild the village or send word to Berk that Hiccup was safe – they were told not to mention his injuries to anyone, especially the council – and that once the new peace treaty was pounded out he and Stoick would return home, a week at most. At least Stoick hoped to only be on Berserker Island for a week.

The night before Hiccup fully woke up he had been rather restless, making everyone worry that he might tear his stitches. His good hand – the other had been burnt in the fire and was bandaged up – began flexing and making a grabby motion as he reached out for something or someone before settling for his father who laid next to him but he moaned softly most of the night and would cry from time to time as if trapped in a horrid nightmare.

When he did finally awake it was without the fanfare he had received in Berk after defeating Red Death but it wasn't because no one cared it was because everyone but the lookouts were asleep. He winced as he shifted and for several long minutes tried to go back to sleep but gave up when his mind refused to relax and let him but he couldn't get up either when he realized his father was partially laying on the fur covering him on one side and a black mass lay on his other side and over his legs. He thumped his head back for a moment and closed his eyes, trying to remember his nightmare from earlier but all that came back was a horrid scream that brought a chill down his spine and made him shiver. It had been the scream of an injured Nightfury, something he had only heard a few times.

"Toothless…" he croaked, unable to make his voice heard and ended up wincing in pain as his dry and sore throat seared in pain. He moaned softly and touched his sore throat with his bandaged hand and tried again. "Toothless?" Fear filled him when he couldn't make his voice heard and his friend didn't answer him and soon tears stung his eyes. What if Toothless had been killed in the battle? What if Alvin's men had caught him? What if… "Ooff! Toothless! "Ow…"

Tears were washed away by an oversized tongue and Hiccup was over joyed. He raised his tired sore arms and wrapped them around the dragon's neck as he sobbed softly into warm black scales. "I thought I lost you," he moaned, unable to stop the tears and so happy that none of his other friends were there to see him cry.

Toothless rubbed up against him, very gentle and caring of Hiccup's many injuries. He rested his head next to his rider and shifted close enough to wrap the boy under a wing as Hiccup slowly rolled onto his side and snuggled against him, simply happy to touch his dragon. Hiccup didn't fall back asleep, too wide awake now but he did run his fingers over Toothless's scales in search of injuries and imperfections, wanting to know just how badly hurt his best friend was but all he found were scabs and burns and bruises, nothing life threatening. Hiccup let out a breath of relief and settle next to Toothless, ready to just spend the rest of the night laying there…well he wanted to at least but his bladder had other thoughts. He needed to go pee but was trapped under furs.

"Let me up, bud," he wheezed, his words again soundless.

Toothless only tilted his head in confusion and then rubbed it over Hiccup's forehead as if taking his temperature. Hiccup whined, his bladder felt as if it was going to explode.

"Toothless, up." When that didn't work Hiccup tried waking his father but that had no results either, at least calling him didn't. Frowning and afraid of soiling himself – there were something you simply didn't do regardless of how injured you may be, especially when you're the chieftain's son and in a building surrounded by other Vikings – he did the one thing that under normal circumstances might get him killed and threw out his arm to hit his father as hard as he could on the shoulder. "DAD!" He might as well have been a butterfly fluttering a wing in his father's face, it had no effect and to think usually Stoick was a light sleeper and would be jumping to his feet ready for battle with a battle axe in hand. Thumping his head Hiccup gave up. He couldn't hold it in much longer. Then, to his surprise, Toothless stuck his muzzle under his neck and gently pushed him up to a sitting position and released him from the furs. That was as far as Hiccup could move. He couldn't feel his legs and a new fear hit him, one worse than soiling himself. He couldn't feel either leg. Did he lose his right one? Had he lost another limp in the battle? He felt down, running his hands over his lap and then past his knees. His prosthetic wasn't attached to his left leg and his right – he left out a happy breath – was right where it was supposed to be. Feeling rushed back in the form of pins and needles and he gave a yelp both happy and sore. Still it was better than having no legs. So with Toothless's help he struggled out of the furs and slowly climbed up on his friend's back.

He gave up trying to talk and simply gave Toothless a gentle tug in the direction he wanted to go. Once outside it was a bit of a challenge to do his business. Very few out houses remained, most destroyed in the battle or too far from the building to be seen properly in the darkness. Instead Toothless took him behind the Great Hall where it was dark and no one in sight. It was difficult hoping on one foot while lowering his trousers to empty his bladder and then bowels but Hiccup managed and he never felt such relief in his young life.

Of course he never expected to return to an uproar when he and Toothless returned to the Great Hall. Stoick was now wide awake as were Gobber and just about everyone else, all searching for Hiccup who had been gone less than ten minutes. Arguing and finger pointing happened so quickly it made Hiccup's head spin and he tried yelling out to his father but all that came out was a wheezy moan that no one heard or paid attention to. It was Toothless's roar that made everyone stop and look toward the door at the bewildered boy and dragon.

"Hiccup!" cried out Dagur, echoed by Stoick and Astrid as they and Gobber ran toward him.

Hiccup smiled sadly, not understanding why he had lost his voice. When his father neared he tapped his sore throat and gave a questioning look. Every time he tried to speak it hurt and he was starting to become increasingly worried of what damage may have happened during his battle against Alvin.

"Easy, son, easy," Stoick said, seeing the fear in his child's eyes. "You inhaled a lot of smoke and damaged your vocal cords. You'll be fine in a few days but you mustn't talk."

"Yes! Finally, I can take charge," Snotlout cheered with a teasing grin to his cousin.

"Snotlout!" Astrid reprimanded, slapping him across the back of his head. "Would _you_ shut up for once? I swear Thor took the wrong voice. You should have stayed on Berk instead of coming back."

Hiccup gave her a grateful grin while Stoick only rolled his eyes and Dagur looked as if he might murder the other teen. Well at least not everything had changed but Hiccup wasn't sure how to ask the numerous questions bubbling inside him. He looked around the Great Hall, taking head count and while he wasn't sure exactly how many Berserkers there were on the island he was more than sure a large number had been killed in the battle.

"Where did you go, Hiccup?" Gobber asked.

Hiccup's face flamed and he wasn't sure how to explain that either. Thankfully his father seemed to understand and gave the other man a look.

"Oh…well I suppose that's a must do," Gobber said with a lopsided grin. "After nearly two days asleep you must have had a wicked one building up inside."

Yep, if that wasn't a way to embarrass Hiccup nothing was and the boy wanted to hide his face against Toothless's head and disappear. The other teens only looked at each other in confusion before Tuffnut opened his mouth to make a remark only to have Fishlegs slap a hand over his mouth – on odd move on Fishlegs's part – and stop him.

"Uhm…let's not go into that," the heavy set boy said sheepishly.

Hiccup gave him a smile in thanks.

"Alright, the lot of you, it's been a long couple of days. I want you all to go back to bed while I talk with Hiccup. Everyone but Dagur and Gobber shuffled off, grumbling about how they missed and wanted to talk to Hiccup too, even Snotlout who rarely spoke to Hiccup unless it was about dragons – although he was making attempts toward strengthening their bonds as cousins if not their friendship. Stoick sent Dagur a look that clearly said he should go back to bed too but the young chieftain gave him a challenging look before petting Toothless. Sighing, Stoick reached up to help his son down from the dragon and sat him on a table top where he could look the boy over. "How to you feel?" he asked as he checked Hiccup's arm, unwrapping it and checking the stitches as he had since Hiccup was hurt.

"Like a Gronkle landed on me," Hiccup whispered which came out more of a breathy moan than actual words.

"Shh…don't try talking," Stoick said quietly as he moved on to Hiccup's ribs. "Are you feeling much pain in his ribs? Miriam whipped up a little pain killer for you so you shouldn't be feeling much right now."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and tried to think of a way to answer the man without straining his voice but it would seem Stoick was talking for the sake of talking, not really expecting an answer but needing to know his little boy was alright. Hiccup waited until he was done check all his injuries – which were a tad more than he even thought possible, burns and gashes and bruises that littered his body from head to toe – before tapping his father on the shoulder. When Stoick looked up with questioning eyes Hiccup gave his best smile and then threw his arms around his father's neck and pressed his face against Stoick's cheek. "I'm okay, dad," he breathed into the man's ear. "I'm okay."

Stoick stayed frozen in shock for a moment before he closed his eyes and held son tightly against him, letting the fear and worry he had felt the last few days finally wash over him. "I feared I lost you," he whispered back before reprimanding him. "Now no more talking until your throat heals, understood?"

"You're crushing my ribs," Hiccup threw in before nodding and falling silent when his father all but dropped him.

Dagur gave him a cheeky smile before his eyes suddenly brightened and he darted off to retrieve something as Stoick continued fussing over Hiccup. Gobber took a seat to Hiccup's left, inspecting the boy's stump while Toothless wiggled his way in and placed his large head next to Hiccup's hip and made a keening noise, as if he wanted his belly scratched or to go out flying.

"Well I'll have to rebuild your leg," Gobber said conversationally and with his usual cheerfulness. "The other got rather mangled in the crash and then you trying to run on it, not that I blame you but the damage is rather extensive. May be able to reuse the mental but you won't be walking anytime soon which is probably for the best while you're healing."

Hiccup shook his head. No, he needed his prosthetic. He couldn't be stuck sitting and laying down for does on end while he waits for a new one, besides the Berserkers had a forge and if he had access to it he could rebuild the stupid thing himself.

"At least you won't be the only one. Poor Toothless's harness and tail were nearly completely destroyed too. You'll both be riding in the boat home tomorrow," the blacksmith continued, pointedly ignoring Hiccup's attempts at getting his attention.

"Gobber, stop teasing," Stoick said firmly as he rolled up the pant leg hanging over Hiccup's stump. "You'll new leg will be ready before we go home, son. A day's wait at most. However you did bruise the stump in the fight, no doubt due to the damage the prosthetic sustained. Toothless's tail fin on the other hand…I don't know if that can be repaired here. According to Dagur the rods were all twisted and bent, a few even broken."

"Yep," Dagur said cheerfully as he bounded back looking like a kid on Snoggletog morning. His hands were behind his back as if hiding something and Hiccup raised a surprised brow when an ornate jar, no large than the honey one he had stashed in the kitchen where he father couldn't find it – Stoick was notorious for eating all the honey before Hiccup had a chance to spread any on his toast – was shoved into his hands. "Here," Dagur chirped.

Rather taken back by the strange gift Hiccup only stared at Dagur before cautiously opening it and staring down in horror. Dragon's blood filled the jar.

"It's for the next treaty signing since obviously Berk doesn't have any," Dagur explained with the bigger grin Hiccup had ever seen.

Stoick rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Dagur, please tell me you didn't slay any of those wild dragons."

"What? No! Why can't I kill a wild dragon?" the young chieftain demanded before recovering himself and giving a bored shrug. "No, no dragons were killed to retrieve that blood. There would have been a lot more if I did as it was it was hard enough filling the two jars that I did, one for Berk and one for use, you know in case we do the treaty here next year."

"Dagur, where did you get the blood?" Stoick asked again, getting annoyed at the boy yammering and rather deranged excitement over dragon's blood.

"It was a donation!" the boy insisted. He was losing a lot of it anyway and I might as well put it to good use while I heated the sword to cauterize the wound."

"Which dragon?"

Here Dagur looked rather sheepish as he met Hiccup's gaze. "Toothless," he said finally.

Said dragon made a bleating sound and raised his head, as if agreeing to what Dagur had just said but Hiccup…Hiccup was seeing red. He went to jump off the table and strangle the other boy for daring to take his dragon's blood and he might have just down that if Stoick didn't catch him and hold him down as he cursed with his inflamed and sore voice and kicked with his one good leg. Dagur only smiled proudly and rocked on his feet as if he had just given Hiccup the best present ever. After all what was better than having a loved one's blood used to keep the peace, especially if said loved one was still very much alive and happy?


	17. Chapter 17

Brothers 17

It took longer than Stoick thought possible to calm Hiccup down. The boy seemed more angry by Dagur's one transgression than all the times Mildew had tried to rid Berk of dragons and out right betrayed them. Maybe it was due to their age being so much closer or their unstable friendship, or maybe it was that goofy smile Dagur had as if he had done Hiccup and Berk a huge favor. Whatever the case the Hope and Heir of Berk was outraged and seemed ready to take down Dagur even if it meant being beaten to a pulp, although after defeating Alvin and surviving it was not surprising he felt as if he could take on the world to protect his dragon.

Of course the yelling and cursing did nothing to help his damaged throat and Stoick was actually a little taken back by how much trouble he was having holding the small teen back. "That's enough, Hiccup," he snapped when the boy wouldn't stop thrashing. "Toothless is fine. See? He's not angry or upset by what happened but if you continue this silliness he may become aggressive and the last thing we need is a war with the Berserkers. Shh…calm down, son. Calm down." He gave a grunt as a small foot hit his belly but was more than happy that his son wasn't wearing his prosthetic otherwise it would have hurt immensely. "Now that is enough!" he bellowed, forcing the boy to sit on the table and grabbing him by the shoulders when to tried to bolt toward Dagur.

"I don't understand. What did I do wrong?" Dagur asked, perplexed by Hiccup's reaction.

Stoick sighed as he leaned forward and rested his chin on Hiccup's head. It had been a long couple of days and it was starting to catch up with him. "Where to start?" he grumbled, not sure if he could make the young chief understand.

"Ah, lad, I think it's time you and I take a little walk and talk about dragon politics," Gobber said as he wrapped an arm around the youth's shoulders. Dagur groaned in disgust but went with him nonetheless, glancing back to Hiccup periodically, still very confused and only growing more so as Gobber spoke to him.

Eventually Hiccup relaxed and stopped fighting Stoick, instead sitting still. "Bastard," Hiccup grumbled, surprising Stoick with the curse. The boy had definitely spent far too much time around Snotlout and the twins.

"Language," Stoick reprimanded sternly as he folded his arms across his massive chest. "We are guests here, Hiccup, regardless of how this came about. I understand your anger at what Dagur has done but he may have saved Toothless's life by treating his injuries. None of us knew he had been hurt; we were all focused on saving you. Yes, taking Toothless's blood was wrong but you need to remember that while we're all Vikings the Berserkers have different traditions than us. Remember, they don't have domestic dragons and have been both hunting and fighting them for generations. Dagur only learned to work with Toothless in the last few days. You can't expect him to change overnight."

Hiccup's eyes narrowed making him look like a disgruntle child rather than the warrior that just defeated the Outcasts. "Bastard," he grumbled again, folding his own arms across his chest in an unconscious imitation of his father.

"Get over it, son, otherwise your attitude might bring some angry Vikings down on his head," Stoick reintegrated.

The boy sighed and closed his eyes, reaching out to pet Toothless. "Fine," he breathed before carefully sliding off the table and onto Toothless's back.

"And no talking until your throat heals," Stoick reminded him as he left with Toothless. "And no solids, Hiccup. I'll have someone make you broth."

Hiccup just ducked his head and tried to hide once more but he stayed with Toothless until the sun rose and everyone awoke for breakfast. Then he found an empty table near a fire and far from the other Vikings as possible. Many didn't even know he was up and about yet but when they did they all wandered over to him to congratulate him and while he nodded politely he seemed to cave in on himself a little more and only Toothless's presence seemed to sooth him. Stoick was worried but he gave the child his space, knowing that Hiccup needed time to come to terms with everything that had happened in the short span of only a few days. It was like after the battle against Red Death when Hiccup had lost his leg and tried to act normal. He'd had nightmares for weeks and Stoick was sure he would again have nightmares of fire and burning, maybe more so than the first time only because the fight against Alvin was more personal and he would have to rely on his friends to once more help him move past his ordeal and "get back on the dragon" so to speak.

The Berk teens and a handful of Berserkers teens gathered around Hiccup's table, all bubbling with questions and excitement. That quickly faded when they realized Hiccup couldn't talk very well without hurting his throat even more – not that trying to yell at Dagur had helped him any. Fishlegs got the bright idea to fetch the leader of the Dragon Academy and Flight Club a note book and charcoal so that Hiccup could write his responses down which actually made Hiccup smile a little. Although it took a little time since everyone wanted to talk at once. He waved his hands to stop everyone and pointed to Astrid first.

"Are you alright?" she asked and then blushed. "Silly question, of course you're not. Hmm…did Dagur hurt you?"

Hiccup shook his head, not needing to write that answer down.

"Okay…okay, did Dagur try anything funny with you? You know, like touch you or anything?" Tuffnut asked with a leering grin.

"Yeah, did he kidnap you to make you his mate or something?" Ruffnut added, her face matching her brother's.

Hiccup threw his arms up in annoyance and would have thrown the book at them if Dagur didn't suddenly walk up behind them, grab their heads and bash them together. If it wasn't for the fact the twins did it all to time to themselves Hiccup may have been worried they'd been hurt but the terrible duo only laughed and fixed their helmets.

"You two are idiots," Dagur muttered, shoving them forward as he stormed past them to sit next to Hiccup. "If I was going to do something like that do you think he would have been in any shape to walk let alone battle the Outcasts?"

Hiccup was appalled by the turn in the conversation but he had heard such things from the older teens before. Snotlout and the twins always talked about sex when they were alone or thought they were alone but for him to be the center of the conversation…well that wasn't something he ever wanted to hear.

The older teens seemed impressed and sort of leered at each other but Dagur quickly dropped the conversation and told everyone to shut up when he noticed Hiccup's discomfort. "Alright, it never happened and never will, now enough already," he growled at the gathered teens.

The Berserker teens knew that tone and hurried away while the riders sat quietly and smartly changed the conversation.

"So…" Astrid started, brushing a strain of hair behind her ear. "What now?"

Hiccup went to write an answer down but Dagur answered for him. "Hic stays here with me until he heals and gets to know the rest of our family."

"Our?" Snotlout asked, raising a questioning brow.

Even Hiccup stared at him not fully understanding. Okay, the healing part was understandable but "our" family? Well they did share an aunt and uncle and a cousin who had passed away but Hiccup really didn't know them and while he would love to learn more he also really wanted to go home and back to his life.

Astrid and Fishlegs looked appalled at the idea of Hiccup staying while the twins only grinned, as if they knew why Dagur really wanted to keep Hiccup and it wasn't as innocent as Hiccup getting to learn more about his mother's side of the family which the Berk's kids knew nothing or at least very little about.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'our'," as ked Astrid, glancing questioningly to Hiccup. "You two aren't related."

"As if that matter," Dagur sneered, his eyes narrow as he glared at her. "My brother and I are finally going to have some time alone together to discover our mutual past and you five can just go back to Berk and let us be."

He went to grab Hiccup's arm and pull him away along with him but Hiccup pulled back and glared at him. He opened his mouth to say something but shook his head instead and grabbed the crutch Snotlout had made him – yep, his big cousin, although pig headed, really did care for him. He made a gesture for Toothless to follow him and hobbled away.

"Hiccup, come one, you're not still made, are you?" Dagur asked, hurrying to catch up, although considering Hiccup only had one leg and the crutch it wasn't all that hard. "What? Is it the blood? Look I'm sorry, I didn't it would upset you so much. Tradition dictates that our treaty is signed in dragon's blood and yeah I know our fathers never really followed that tradition but I thought with us it could be different and it's _your_ dragon's blood which makes it all the more special. And it'll last for years! There's this special stuff that I had my aunt add so that it doesn't congeal or rot. It'll last forever especially since it's only for signing the treaty which is like once a year."

Hiccup growled in irritation and whirled on him, wanted desperately to yell. Instead he gave a huff and shook his head sadly. Dagur wouldn't get it even after Gobber talked to him. Hiccup had to let the whole blood thing go. Toothless was fine and not worrying about it so he shouldn't either, right? He let out a sigh and looked sadly at Dagur, wanting to ask a bunch of questions but unable to with his throat but there was one question that had been bothering him since the incident on Dragon Island.

"Why do you call me brother?" he croaked softly.

"What?" Dagur asked, unable to make out what he said.

"Brother?" Hiccup tried again.

Dagur beamed happily. "Yeah, we're brothers."

Hiccup shook his head. "How?"

Dagur looked perplexed. "Do we need to discuss the birds and the bees?"

Rolling his eyes Hiccup gave up. If Dagur wasn't going to be serious then it was time he spoke with his father or try to at least. Thank you Fishlegs for the notebook. It might take longer but hopefully he'd get some of his answers. It would seem Stoick had the same thought as he scooped Hiccup up when he got close and carried him outside where the sun shone brightly.

"How are you feeling, Hiccup. Never mind don't answer that," the Berk chief said with a hollow laugh. "I saw that look on your face when you turned away from Dagur. Still angry about the dragon blood?"

Hiccup shook his head but of course Stoick couldn't see it from where he sat on his father's shoulder. "No," he whispered only to receive another reprimand for talking with his throat so sore. Nonetheless Hiccup couldn't stay quiet, he had to know. "Is Dagur my brother?"

Stoick stopped abruptly, nearly knocking Hiccup off his shoulder. Hiccup at to scramble to hold on but he could feel the sudden tension in his father's shoulders. Fear bubbled inside Hiccup as he realized that maybe Dagur wasn't making it all up and maybe there was a reason he had started calling him brother and not because they were brothers at arms as he had first thought. Oh Hiccup was now more confused than ever and he only prayed someone would finally give him some answers that made sense.


	18. Chapter 18

Brothers 18

Alvin was none too happy as he looked himself over. The gashes and new scars didn't bother him, his body was litter with them but the fact that the Haddock boy had been the cause of them…well that was another matter altogether. Alvin felt both respect and annoyance at the youth for being able to best him and it almost sadden him to learn the boy hadn't survived their battle; he would have made an excellent and cunning Outcast. Hell he could have been a prodigy if given the right motivation. Ah, his dragon trainer and personal cabin boy would have been just the start. He could have broken the boy right down and then rebuild him in his image. Oh the plans he had all dashed now with Hiccup's death. Such a shame.

"You are certain he's dead?" he asked Savage late the night before after he had awoken from his injuries. It would appear he had lost much more blood than he originally anticipated and was thought bound for Valhalla before he surprised his own men – as he had many times in the past – a woke up.

Savage nodded, looking slightly frightened by the mad gleam in his chief's eyes. "Aye, sir. Old man Mildew said he saw the body."

"Mildew, eh?" Alvin grumbled in thought. He glanced toward Berserker Island just past where they were hiding near Thor's Fingers. They only had two boats hidden amongst the rocks with grey canopies to blend them in with their surroundings as per Alvin's orders should they fail in their mission of capturing Hiccup. "Bah! I don't trust that old fool any further than I can throw a Red Death. No…I want evidence, proof that the boy died. Take the other ship and go back to the island. Steal the body before Stoick takes it back to Berk."

The Vikings all looked appalled by this order. It was bad fortune to steal a body regardless if it was that of a child or enemy. Such things could bring about Odin's wrath and none of them wanted to face an angry God.

"Sir," Savage tried, his voice trembling slightly whether it was fear of the Gods or that of his crazed leader not even he was sure. "If he's dead then don't our laws dictate we let his soul travel peacefully to Valhalla?"

Alvin growled in annoyance and grabbed his second by the throat. "Go back to Berserk and bring me the boy, dead or alive or you will be the one making a trip to Valhalla. Have I made myself clear?"

Savage nodded woodenly. "Yes…yes, sir." And in a handful of minutes Savage took control of their sister ship and a handful of men, changed the sails to appear as a merchant ship and began sailing back to Berserker Island, his heart racing and fear guiding his movements.

. . .

"So," Astrid began, leaning forward on the table to talk to the other teens quietly without anyone else hearing her. Now that Hiccup and Dagur were gone they could speak freely about the strangeness between the two, namely this whole "brother" nonsense. "Have any of you heard anything about Hiccup and Dagur being brothers?"

The twins shook their heads with matching faces of confusion and well…they weren't the sharpest swords in a sheath to begin with. Fishlegs was shuffling about and looking around as if expecting one of the two boys to return. "When Dagur took Hiccup dragon hunting Hiccup had said something about being brothers but I thought he meant brothers-at-arms, you know because they were hunting Toothless. I just let it go because Dagur's…you know, scary."

The twin nodded in unison. "He's also kind of cool."

"I thought Dagur was just…I don't know…being a little over affectionate to Hiccup," Snotlout suddenly, a rare thoughtful look on his face. He folded his arms on the table and leaned against them. "Maybe it's because of that whole fake dragon attack and Hiccup 'saving' him. I mean Hiccup did put on a good act and then there's that whole business with Red Death where Hiccup became this great hero and shit."

"Yeah well what if they _are_ brothers?" Ruffnut suddenly asked as she leaned forward as well, her actions mirrored by her brother.

"Yeah, what if? Wait, you don't really think so, do you?" asked Tuffnut, giving his sister an odd look.

Ruffnut shrugged. "Why not?"

"They're nothing alike," Astrid argued, unwilling to believe Hiccup and Dagur were related in any way.

"Mentally no but they do share a lot of the same qualities," Fishlegs threw in, surprising Astrid. "And they do sort of look alike."

"They do not," Astrid objected.

"They do," Tuffnut agreed with Fishlegs, surprising everyone. "Dagur's rather short. Yeah he's taller Hiccup…"

"Everyone's taller than Hiccup," Snotlout grumbled, looking less and less amused by the conversation.

"But he's still shorter than the other teens his age," Tuffnut continued.

Ruffnut nodded. "Hiccup has green eyes, Dagur has green eyes."

"And red hair," Fishlegs added. "Hiccup's is a little darker because he spent most of his life indoors and working at the forge before Toothless came along."

"You guys are insane!" Astrid all but yelled. She let out a deep sigh and counted to ten slowly before letting out her breath. "Okay, fine. Let's say for argument sake that they are related then how? You don't honestly think Valhallarama is both of their mothers? Or that Stoick had relations with Oswald's wife?"

Everyone fell silent as they wondered just how the two boys could be brothers. For several long minutes they sipped at their drinks and spooned their gruel.

"Stoick and Valhallarama did have a hard time conceiving," Snotlout muttered so softly that everyone had to strain to hear. He pushed his gruel away and glared at the bowl. "My dad used to talk about it with my mom when I was real little. He used to say that Stoick needed an heir and if he didn't produce one within the first five years of his marriage with Valha that he would have to divorce her and take another wife. Dad thought he was a fool to stay with her and that he should take over being chief that way I would be the heir. Then just as the five years were almost up she was suddenly pregnant and Hiccup came along. Everyone attributed his small size to whatever difficulties they were having but Oswald had been visiting a short time before Valha and Stoick announces they were expecting. What if Stoick isn't Hiccup's dad? What if Oswald is…was?"

Everyone stared at him in horror but it oddly made sense. They were all older than Hiccup, spanning from a year to three years in age difference and maybe people had questioned how Hiccup could be so tiny when Stoick was so large. Oswald on the other hand was far thinner and not quite so tall and the more the teens thought about it the more they were certain that maybe, just maybe Stoick had been keeping a pretty big secret from his people and the boy he called his son.

. . .

"Hiccup," Stoick started as he lifted the boy off his shoulder and gently set him down on a bench. His felt as if someone gripped his heart in a fist but he fought to keep his calm and prayed his face didn't give away his panic. "Who told you that?" he asked, already knowing the most likely culprit. "Was it Dagur?"

The boy was hesitant but the way he ran his top teeth over his bottom lip in a nervous fashion was all Stoick needed to see to know that Dagur had been the one to bring this issue to Hiccup's attention. He knelt before his son, placing his large hands on his lap and looked Hiccup in the eye to make sure he had the child's undivided attention.

"Can you talk above a whisper?" he asked, smiling slowly when Hiccup opened his mouth to try but only gave a breathless wheeze that sounded like a possible "no". He patted the boy's knees. "Excellent! Then you'll listen and I'll talk. Agreed?"

Hiccup's eyes narrowed but he made a gesture that obviously meant "whatever".

"Don't get sassy with me, lad. You may not be able to speak but I can read you like a book," Stoick chastised as he stood and placed his hands on his hips, giving Hiccup "the look".

It didn't work as expected. Hiccup started laughing and gesturing wildly at Toothless. The ebony dragon opened his mouth wide and gave a yawn before curling up next to his rider. Hiccup only grinned wider and folded his arms across his narrow chest then cocked one eye brow. Stoick frowned and subconsciously folded his arms across his chest as well as he met the boy in a staring contest. Normally Stoick would win such a battle of wills but Hiccup had proven more than once he could meet just about anyone in will power – surely that was proven in his battle against Alvin.

Giving an annoyed grunt Stoick lowered his arms. "Fine, I didn't listen when it came to the dragons, I'll admit to that."

Hiccup tilted his head, a tiny smirk playing over his lips.

"Or about the Outcasts."

That smirk grew a little.

"Or Mildew."

The smirk grew more.

"Alright, alright, so I'm not so good at reading you but keep the sass to a minimum or I'll take you over my knee," Stoick warned, knowing full well he would never spank his son for one simple fact, he was terrified of hurting Hiccup because of his small size. There was only once that he'd been forced to discipline the child in such a way and that was many years ago when Hiccup had invented something that nearly killed six people. But if Hiccup kept grinning like the cat that got the cream he might just make an exception. And of course it was one threat that didn't faze the boy in the slightest.

"Alright," Stoick sighed as he grabbed a bench from around the fire pit and pulled it across from Hiccup's with one hand. He sat down heavily and let out another tired sigh. He was getting to old for this. "What exactly did Dagur say?" He held up a hand to stop Hiccup, realizing his mistake at once. "Never mind. Dagur says he's your brother, huh?"

Hiccup nodded and began jolting something down in a book before turning it for Stoick to read. "Ever since Dragon Island."

Stoick nodded. "Did he say anything more?"

Another nod and began writing again but this time Stoick took the book and charcoal away and stashed them in his belt. "Nope, you're to listen not talk…or write."

Hiccup threw up his arms in frustration and held out his hand as if expecting Stoick to give them back. When the man didn't he pursed his lips and looked like a sulking infant. This time Stoick chuckled and sat back, thoroughly amused by this new side of Hiccup. Perhaps losing his voice was a blessing in disguise, except when Hiccup signed something to Toothless and Stoick was suddenly struck by a tail. That made Hiccup giggle silently.

Stoick fixed his knocked over helmet and glared at the dragon. "Don't you be sassy me either, beast," he warned but Toothless grunted and curled his tail around his body and dozed off. Rolling his eyes the Hooligan chief decided to get straight to the point. "Dagur _is_ your brother, Hiccup but not in the sense you might think. Your mother and I waited a long, long time for you. I…I thought I couldn't give your mother the child she wanted due to an old battle injury. It's rather complicated but I'm rather certain you won't have that problem."

The boy gave a disgusted look, like any child who didn't want to ever about their parents' sex life. He stuck a finger in his mouth and made a gagging face that made Stoick chuckle.

"Yes, yes…listening, remember?"

The child tried schooling his face but he couldn't stop the smirk that made his lips twitch. He pulled his legs up and folded them, holding the calf of his good leg as he rocked on his rump. Yeah, the boy was over excited to hear an actual story from his father without having to whine or complain in order to get a little attention like he did pre-Toothless. Stoick felt slightly guilty for that but it was never Hiccup's fault, it was his own.

"As I was saying. We had some problems and since Valhallarama came from Berserk – yes, your mother was a Berserker and Rayanamiriam is her younger sister – I consulted Oswald and your grandfather Old Wrinkly. At that time we weren't sure if it was me or her. Even our shaman couldn't help us. Oswald brought his shaman and after a week of drinking this most horrid concoction known to man and a little unconventional therapy, we were blessed with you."

Hiccup frowned, not satisfied by this answer and he waved his arms again.

"Calm down, calm down," Stoick urged, not liking to see his child so wound up.

Hiccup motioned for his book and with a sigh Stoick handed it over. A moment later it was handed back with; "How is Dagur my brother? Is Oswald…" here the hand writing got shaky "my father?"

"No!" Stoick nearly yelled. "No, Hiccup. I'm your father. The shaman used some spell and by the time she and Oswald left we were expecting you."

The boy looked perplex. He motioned for the book again but Stoick shook his head.

"Hiccup, I want you to listen not talk," Stoick reminded him.

Hiccup frowned then pointed to his eyes.

"What about your eyes? Oh, yes, we have the same eyes." Stoick said with a proud nod.

Hiccup shook his head and waved his arms and tried again, this time with his hair.

"Yes, same hair, too."

The boy let out a huff and tried once more. He waved in the direction he had last seen Dagur and then point to his eyes, then hair and then made a motion for little.

"Ah…your mother's hair was red and she also had green eyes and was rather slim, much like Astrid now that I think about it," Stoick said more to himself than his son.

Frustrated Hiccup placed his foot back on the ground and hopped over to his father to swipe his book back then, balancing carefully on one foot, wrote down his next question. "You still haven't told me how Dagur is my brother."

"Oh…well it's not by blood, well it is my not the way you might think," Stoick hurried to explain. He took a deep breath and debated how to answer before finally settling with; "You were so tiny when you were born that I was afraid of losing you so when Oswald came to celebrate your birth he brought Dagur and we decided since the two of you could almost pass as brothers that for your protection we would give him that responsibility. He was only four at the time and surely didn't understand what we were asking of him – obvious by his behavior as he grew older – but when you were little he took it seriously and wouldn't allow anyone to harm you. From what I heard he did the same with Victor and most of the Berserker children. He's a little deranged but he's dedicated, I give him that."

"So we're not related?" read the book.

Stoick shrugged. "Cousins through marriage at most but otherwise no, he's more like a foster brother."

"So mom and Oswald..?"

"NO!"

A frown marred Hiccup's features as he thought this through. It still didn't really add up. Why not tell him this before. Why keep it secret? What else might his father be hiding? "Why did mom leave?" he finally wrote.

Stoick sighed. "She's on a quest, you know that."

Hiccup closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "But it's been so long. Why didn't you tell me we had family here? Why keep it from me?" he wrote.

"Oh, Hiccup. There's much you don't yet understand."

"Tell me, _please._"

"When you're older."

Hiccup stared at him wide and he was about to bring charcoal to paper when his father stopped him.

"No, Hiccup. No more questions. You need to trust me when I say this is for your own good." Stoick's tone was strict and left no room for argument but Hiccup was just as bull headed as his father and glared up at him challengingly. "That is my final word, Hiccup," Stoick warned, seeing the rebelliousness in his child's eyes.

The boy only shook his head and hopped away to fetch his crutch. It was awkward bending down to pick it up but he refused to allow his father to help him. He needed a little time to think and would have gladly taken a walk with Toothless is Cora and her friends didn't choose that moment to appear with a basket of freshly caught fish for the dragon.

Toothless perked up at the smell and licked his chops as the kids placed the basket before him before squealing in delight when Toothless's teeth suddenly appeared and he buried his face in the basket and happily munched down on the fish. Some of them ran off to tell their friends while Cora grabbed Hiccup's hand and gave it a little tug. When Hiccup bent to see what she wanted he was surprised to receive a kiss on the cheek, followed by giggles and then her chasing after her friends. He gave her fleeing form a small smile. I would have been nice to have siblings. He kind of liked the idea of a younger sister and maybe Dagur would have made an excellent older brother if he wasn't so deranged but that was all just a passing fancy now that he knew for sure – or was reasonably sure, at least – that they weren't actually related. That was a good thing too because he couldn't imagine any other person being his father than Stoick, other than Gobber that is, but then Gobber had been there all his life and was his God-father.

Sadly, Hiccup had way too many things to try and process and his tired and weary mind just couldn't make sense of any of it. So while Toothless enjoyed his breakfast Hiccup decided he was need of some alone time, just a little walk – or hobble – around the village to think. Stoick tried to go with him at first but Hiccup quickly declined and while he couldn't really explain why to him he was sure his father understood and eventually backed away to help the other Vikings rebuild homes and barns. Every villager Hiccup passed by would stop him and congratulate him or ask if he needed anything until the point that the attention became too much and Hiccup wandered just outside the village to explore the woods he played in when he was small, promising himself not to go too far especially without his prosthetic and his foot so unsure.

He never noticed the eyes watching him from the shadows of the dense forest.


	19. Chapter 19

Brothers 19

Hiccup was actually thankful for not having his voice when someone sudden grabbed his shoulder out of seemingly nowhere. He let out a whispered cry as he lost his footing and fell to the ground, twisting at the last possible moment to land on his rear. Even that hurt and jarred his fractured ribs but he quickly hid the pain he felt under a mask of irritation as he looked up to see Mildew and his stupid sheep Fergus or Fungus or whatever the hell it was called. Sure he had saved Mildew from a fiery death but that didn't mean he ever wanted to see the old man again. Hell, he didn't want to see that stupid sheep ever again either. To his surprise Mildew offered him his hand. Hiccup's face hardened and he ignored the offer and attempted to get up on his own.

Mildew grumbled something under his breath as he watched the boy struggle to right himself with only one good leg and a crutch. "Hiccup, stop being so blasted stubborn on every situation. It's alright to accept for help from time-to-time," he chastised before grabbing the teen's arm and pulling him up the rest of the way.

Hiccup teetered a moment before steadying himself with his crutch. Opening his mouth he went to tell the old man to go away, that he had nothing to say to him but again it only came out as a whisper. His shoulders sagged in defeat. He couldn't even out run Mildew right now which was rather sad considering Mildew couldn't run unless being chased by a dragon.

"I take it your throat is still raw from the fire?" Mildew asked as he leaned against his staff.

Hiccup gave a nod.

"Can't speak what-so-ever?"

"A little," Hiccup croaked but even that hurt and he frowned once more. This was going to be a pain if it kept up much longer. He needed to find a canteen water.

"Perfect," Mildew said with a wide grin.

Hiccup wanted to bash his head in with something but settled from rubbing his hands over his face and groan. It would seem far too many people liked the fact he couldn't talk today. He should have stayed with Toothless at least then he could have rested and yeah maybe there would have been a bunch of little kids cooing over Toothless but at least it was better than dealing with Mildew. Anything was better than dealing with Mildew.

"I wanted to say thank you for saving me, lad," Mildew said, his face very serious as he looked Hiccup up and down. "I never meant for things to get this out of control, I just wanted the dragons gone."

Yet for the last few months the old man had been hanging out with the Outcasts and teaching Alvin the few things Hiccup had taught him. Yep, that was a sure way of showing just how much he hated dragons. It was more like how much he hated Berk, his own village. Hiccup only frowned at him, wanting so much to speak his mind but unable to.

Mildew seemed to understand and while he would never apologize for all the hurtful things he had said to the boy he was willing to admit to when he was wrong – which wasn't often in his opinion. "You won't be needing to worry about me anymore, Hiccup. I'll be leaving on the next available ship and not returning to Berk."

Hiccup's brows rose in surprise. "Why?" he managed, a little bewildered by just about everything Mildew had done in the past year, but self-exile? That was not something he expected what-so-ever.

"I betrayed Berk. It's that or face the executioner. I've already spoken with your father and he agrees this is for the best." Mildew nodded to himself, as if he still was unsure of his own decision and then, patting Hiccup on the shoulder, he began hobbling toward the pier. He paused and glanced back at Hiccup, his gaze for once admiring rather than condescending. "You remind me of your mother. Her spirit. Her eyes. Sooner or later you'll father will break and tell you everything."

Hiccup's mouth fell open but before he could give chance or ask more the man had already made it half way down the hill and the youth couldn't help but curse. The day Mildew could out run Hiccup was a sad day indeed. Shaking his head Hiccup sighed and turned away. Why was everything about his mother so…so…mysterious? It was frustrating as hell. If he had his prosthetic on he'd chase after Mildew and get more answers…maybe have Toothless breathe a little fire at him and find out the truth but then again Mildew wasn't very good with the truth and since Hiccup really couldn't remember his mother as well as he would like he couldn't recall if he looked like her or not. Either way once he got his voice back he was so integrating his father about the whole thing, even if he had to get all the dragons plus Gobber to sit on him.

. . .

The hut was a mess, it always was since his father died but Dagur sorted through the remaining items he had that wasn't destroyed in the Outcast attack. His house was still standing – barely – but Harold had warned him to just grab the necessities and leave the rest. Dagur wasn't sure what to save so he grabbed the few things he had of his mothers, items he usually kept tucked safe in a trunk, the weapons that weren't damaged or bent, his sister's second best stuffy and her helmet and the big book of treaties his father had made him study as a child. He absently wondered if Stoick had one as well that Hiccup would need to study. It didn't matter, he'd let Hiccup read it if he wanted since it was going to be moved to the Great Hall until he had a chance to rebuild his house. He gathered as much as he could in a sack and threw it over his shoulder than gathered the rest into one arm. Everything else could be replaced but there items were all he had left of his family and some of it Cora would most likely want. He hesitated as he headed toward the door. In a far corner hanging off the wall was his mother's breast plate. He had forgotten all about it because usually there was a bear fur hanging over it. Juggling everything as best he could he reached for it, hoping to carrying everything out all at once but it was too much and he dropped a shield on his feet. He yelped and glared at the offending object before kicking it and snatching the breast plate off the shelf. Cora would want that when she grew up and if it didn't fit than they'd simply dismantle it and rebuild it…maybe…probably not. He'd have to have one costume build for his sister instead.

"Whoa there, son, that's a little more than you can carry," Stoick said from the doorway, ducking inside and taking the breast plate and swords before they too fell from Dagur's arms. He ducked down to scoop up the fallen shield as well.

Dagur, a little surprised by the sudden help, stared up to the large man for several long seconds before giving a tiny smile. "Thanks," he murmured as he hauled his load outside.

Stoick followed him out and placed the items next to the house. "Dagur, we need to talk," he said, keeping his voice calm and fatherly.

The young chief put down his load as well and stretched. "Yeah, what's up?"

"It's about Hiccup."

Dagur turned to him with a big smile. "Yeah? You're going to let him stay, right?"

"That's up to Hiccup," Stoick said, unable to hide his dislike of that idea. "No, I want to talk about this 'brother' issue."

"Oh?"

"You do realize you and Hiccup aren't really brothers, don't you?"

"Of course we are! You're be silly, Stoick."

"No, I'm being serious. Dagur, do you remember when Hiccup was born?" Stoick asked, still calm and hoping not to have to resort to violence with the unstable youth.

"Of course, you and my father said Hiccup was my brother and I had to protect him," Dagur answered with a bored look that easily said "you know that or is old age getting to you?"

"Yes, we did say that but not because you're brothers by blood," Stoick tried to explain, deciding to sit down with Dagur rather than loom over him. If Dagur was anything like Hiccup he didn't appreciate being talked down to. He bent back in the house and pulled out two chairs for them to sit and talk like chiefs. Perplexed Dagur took the offered seat and sat down. Stoick took a deep breath. "Dagur, your grandfather and my father wanted to keep the peace between our tribes that is why I was tasked with finding the Fire Stone. Valhallarama's father wanted me to prove myself as the perfect mate for his daughter despite your grandfather and my father arranging our marriage. Your father and I didn't want that for you and Hiccup. We wanted you to find your own paths but keep our tribes united. Do you understand?"

Dagur just stared at him as if frozen by a gorgon or that Stoick had at some point grown a second head. "No," he said finally.

Stoick sighed. How could he put this in a way that Dagur would understand? "You father wasn't repulsed by Hiccup being so tiny. He knew and understood why we refused to send him to Valhalla like all the undersized infants before him. Our people had a terrible history of giving up the smallest of our kind but your father agreed with us that Hiccup was too precious to be sent to sea so he asked you to be his big brother and protect him. Do you remember that?"

"No, my father said Hiccup was my brother and to look after him just like any other brother," Dagur objected.

Stoick ran a hand over his face. "No, 'like a big brother to him'."

"No, I'm his brother. Oswald helped you and Valha by giving her his seed so in essence my father is Hiccup's father which makes up…"

"A money's uncle," Stoick grumbled. "Dagur, _I_ am Hiccup's father. Oswald and Valha never _ever_ had relations."

Now Dagur looked confused and he shook his head. "Not how I was told. My dad and your wife-"

"Never happened," Stoick said firmly.

Dagur frowned but looked thoughtful for the longest time before shrugging. "Doesn't matter. He's my brother, 'nough said."

"No, Dagur, not enough said. Hiccup's very confused right now. This has been a lot of him to process and try to understand in a very short amount of time. He thinks you both are brothers and that I've been lying to him all this time and he's asking all sorts of questions about his mother. There are some things he's not ready for yet."

"But why? He's a smart boy, Stoick, he can handle a lot more than you give him credit for," Dagur said, for the first time ever sounding wiser than his years as he stood. "He's more than welcome to stay and learn everything we know of Valhallrama, I know Raya would love to have him stay for a few weeks and he and I can go hunting and such like real brothers."

Stoick shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Dagur. Hiccup has responsibilities on Berk. He…"

"Think of it as a holiday for him. When's the last time he ever had a vacation where he wasn't under someone's thumb?"

Stoick opened his mouth then closed it. "Hiccup has much more freedom than you think."

Dagur smirked. "Only because he has a dragon to fly off on but then so do you. Let him stay. I'll protect him."

"I'll talk with him about it," Stoick promised as he stood. "However, you ever kidnap him again and I won't be so friendly. Understood?"

The boy only smirked which meant that it would happen at least one more time in the near future but Stoick wasn't so worried. He was pretty certain that Dagur would never willingly harm Hiccup or allow harm to befall him. If anything Dagur would be just about as over protective of Hiccup as Stoick himself was and having someone in this region of Archipelago looking out for Hiccup was a bit of a relief. If Hiccup wished to spend extra time on Berserk Island with Dagur Stoick wasn't about to stop him.

. . .

Mildew was never so happy as he was when he saw the merchant ship dock at the pier. Although he could have sworn he had seen two when he was in the village and a sense of dread momentarily filled him. He quickly banished it as he walked down one of the finger docks to the merchant ship and was pleasantly surprised to see Johann fussing about with a chest and a number of treasures.

"Ah, Johann, you're a sight for weary eyes," he said with a growing smile.

The merchant jumped in surprise and turned around to face Mildew. Shook turned to confusion and then a thin smile. "Mildew? What's my best costumer doing here on Berserker Island?"

Mildew waved a hand dismissively. "Long story, my boy. I can enthrall you with the tale another time. Are you staying long? I'm looking for a ride deeper south, to the main lands. Are you headed in that direction?"

Johann looked about, a little surprised and uncomfortable after the stories he had heard from Berk but eventually he shrugged and gave a little nod. "It won't be for a few weeks and it'll be a rather roundabout trip but yeah, I should be to the main land in a month's time. Why are you interested?"

"Just need a change of scenery, lad," Mildew explained with a cunning smile. It faded a moment later as he looked out over the sea, dread squeezing at his old heart. "Did you have a sister ship following you?"

A surprised look filled Johann's face. "I've never had a second ship, you know that."

Mildew nodded to himself. He knew he saw another ship. He would stake his life on it and he was pretty sure they were Outcasts, no doubt looking for Hiccup. His hands fisted around his staff, debating whether or not to warn Stoick or flee for his life but Johann was unlikely to be leaving right away and if anyone learned he had spotted another ship without reporting it Stoick was unlikely to let him leave with his life. No, he'd done enough to anger the chief of the Hairy Hooligans to risk doing so again. So ignoring Johann's questions he began the long trek back to the village.


	20. Chapter 20

Brothers 20

Thrust was something to be expected when ones throat has been burned by smoke inhalation but Hiccup was still surprised by it, after all he was used to warning with dragons and in the forge where it was often very hot and his throat would naturally become dry and scratchy if not taken care of properly, but this, this was something he still couldn't comprehend. As far as Hiccup was concerned he should have had his voice back hours ago and dealing with the other more serious injuries. Being stabbed was worse that an itchy throat, right? Or helping Gobber rebuild his prosthetic or building the new rods for Toothless or something more productive than wandering around wondering about his mother. But he didn't want anyone fussing over him or giving him more riddles about his heritage, all he wanted was time to himself to think and make sense of it all. But he was so thirsty.

Relief filled him when he heard the sound of running water and managed to find his way to the river that fed into the village's water supply. Oh sweet fresh and cool water. Leaning against the crutch he hobbled as quickly as he could to the river. A smile and happy chuckle escaped him as he knelt next to the stream, not quite as wide as he first thought. Careful not to topple in, his balance was still questionable at best, he leaned forward and scooped both hands into the water. He brought his cupped hands to his mouth and gulped down the water, slowly at first and then as if he could never get enough. It felt so good on his tender throat.

"Okay, can I talk?" he said to himself, his voice still very soft and wheezy but it was slightly above a whisper. "One, two, three. Toothless, terrorizes tiny Terrible Terrors." He giggled. Snotlout and the twins were sure to tease him endlessly if they heard that one but at least he could talk…sort of. Now if anyone else could hear him then he'd be a happy ducky.

The snap of a breaking branch made him jump and he turned to see who was there. His brows furrowed and eyes narrowed. No one, yet he was sure he had heard someone walking around behind him. He frowned, reaching sideways for his crutch and ready to hit anyone who dared popped out at him, including the twins if this was some sort of sick joke. A cry escaped him when a tiny Terrible Terror jumped out of the bush and into his lap. He laughed at it, shaking away his surprise and momentary fear.

"It's just you Sharpshot. Did you follow Dad and the gang here?" He laughed as the little dragon climbed over his shoulders and onto his head before jumping down and sniffing the water in search of fish. Hiccup turned to scoop up some more water to quench his thrust and easing the remaining burning in his throat while watching his small companion splash and play.

It just so happened he was looking down when he heard the shuffle of feet again, this time definitely too heavy to be a little dragon's. He stayed still, listening carefully. The shuffling wasn't that of one of the Hooligan teens either, far too heavy for even Fishlegs who had learned to be rather light footed for someone his size. Not taking any chances Hiccup picked up a rock the size of his fist and hid it against his chest. He looked over his shoulder but again there seemed to be no one but this time he knew there was someone there, he was sure of it. They were just hiding which meant they weren't friendly. He needed to get out of there but without his prosthetic there was no way he could out run them or fight and there was no way he could yell for help. His gaze shifted back to the water, waiting to see a reflection and know exactly who he was dealing with. If it was a Berserker if was unlike he was in any real danger and if it was one of his own people well…he would probably be lectured for wandering so far from the village. However, he was almost positive that whoever was out there wasn't a local tribesman. Call it intuition or paranoia or whatever you wanted but Hiccup felt real fear and no amount of assuring himself made him relax.

"Okay, I know you're out there, come out," he said in his loudest voice but it was still as if he could barely reach regular speaking levels.

Nothing.

"Snotlout, this isn't funny." While he was sure it wasn't Snotlout he could still hope that his cousin was playing some silly game to scare him like he would only a year or so ago. But Snotlout didn't step out or say a word. There wasn't a sound now. The entire forest was eerily silent. Even Sharpshot fell silent. Then, as if something had spooked nature itself, Sharpshot gave a cry and took to the air. Hiccup whirled around in surprise. "Sharpshot? UHMPH!"

A large hand slapped over his mouth as an arm wrapped around his waist and lifted him right off the ground so fast that it didn't seem humanly possible. In the hand was a foul smelling clothe that covered his mouth and nose making it hard to breathe without sucking in the horrid scent that made his head swim and darkness to tug at the corners of his vision. Nonetheless Hiccup struggled, kicked as hard as he could with his good leg with swinging his right arm with rock in hand toward the head of his captor as he reached with his left for the sword undoubtedly on the man's belt. A second man, Savage, caught his wrist and stopped him from bashing the other man's head but was not prepared for the sudden sword to be swung at him. He managed to catch that wrist too and with a painful twist disarmed Hiccup but the other Outcast had been thrown off balance and dropped the youth. Hiccup hit the ground hard, his mind groggy from whatever was on the cloth and unable to catch himself with only one leg. Regardless he reached for the crutch, ready to hit both men but before he could he was shoved to the ground and forced onto his back.

"The little blighter still has a lot of fight left for a dead boy," snarled the Outcast, pinning Hiccup to the ground. "At least he can't run now, Alvin will like that. Now breathe deep Haddock, you don't want to be awake for what happens next." That filthy clothe was shoved over Hiccup's mouth and nose once more.

Hiccup shook his head, trying to dislodge the cloth and break free but with his arms pin and the Outcast straddle his lower body, putting pressure on his injured side and cracked ribs to the point that he was nearly in tears, Hiccup could do nothing and soon, far too soon the darkness won and found himself tumbling backward into unconsciousness. His body went limp and anything the men decided to do to him would not be felt for quite some time.

The Outcast sat back on his heels and looked the boy over amazed as ever that this small child was such a torment to their people. Alvin was correct; how could one ninety pound boy – if that – constantly defeat powerful bloodthirsty warriors? It made no logical sense yet it had happened time and time again and only days ago that same boy had nearly killed Alvin the Treacherous, a man easily four times the boy's size. "What is Alvin planning to do with the boy if he refused to train the dragons?" he absently asked Savage as he stood and lifted the far too light boy into his arms. He was as light as a feather and looked far too easy to break especially with one leg missing and face scrapped and bruised from the previous battle.

"For Hiccup's sake, execute him, otherwise…well I rather not think about it," Savage said with a shudder. With Hiccup unconscious and silent he looked far smaller than when they fought him and his dragon. While he might joke and threaten to do horrible things to the dragon riders, especially Hiccup there were some lines even he wouldn't cross that he knew for a fact Alvin wasn't afraid to. "Let's go. I'm sure Alvin will be very excited to see him." He removed the fur cloak he had been wearing and with the other man's help wrapped Hiccup in it before throwing him and the fur over his shoulder so it looked as if they were simply transporting a heavy fur rather than Berk's young hero. Nonetheless they jumped into the stream and walked along its wet winding path toward the eastern shores several hundred feet until they came upon lush moist grass where their wet foot prints would not be so noticeable. "Hurry up. I don't want the Berserkers catching us or Stoick. Last thing we need is both chieftains down our backs."

. . .

"Stoick…Stoick!" Mildew yelled, breathless from his trek all the way back to the village. He leaned heavily on his staff and fought to catch his breath as he glared at the last thirty foot stretch between him and his chieftain…former chieftain once he got off this accursed island. "Stoick!"

"Ah look, even here Mildew has to give us his daily complain," Gobber grumbled from where he was working inside the forge with Hiccup's prosthetic. He shook his head and continued working, wanting to have it completely before night fall. He knew what it felt like to be unable to walk and forced to rely on a crutch. He been there when he lost his leg and had to wait for one to be made for him and he wasn't about to make the boy suffer any more than he already had.

Stoick, who had been leaning against the building to see how the work was proceeding, frown as he glanced toward the old man, annoyance written all over his face. He sighed and pushed away from the building. "I'm starting to think _I'm_ the one in need of a vacation rather than Hiccup."

"You could always make it a father-son event," Gobber pointed out.

"Huh uh, and Dagur and Toothless would probably tag along."

Gobber grinned. "Don't forget Thornado."

Rolling his eyes Stoick couldn't help but grin. Of course the dragons would accompany them but Dagur? Maybe, the boy could use a father figure who wasn't his second in command. Strolling down the hill toward Mildew his annoyance quickly turned to concern. He hadn't seen the old man so riled up in ages, not even when the dragons destroyed his cabbage garden and spooked his sheep. "What is it, Mildew?" he asked in worry.

"Did Hiccup return? Is he still in the forest?" Mildew panted, clenching his chest in obvious fatigue.

"I haven't seen him and Toothless is playing with the children so I know he can't be bothering you," Stoick answered, ready for any possible complaint the old man might have.

Mildew shook his head. "It's not the blasted dragons, boy, it's Outcasts."

Stoick's eyes narrowed. Mildew hadn't called him boy since he was one many, many years ago. But the word Outcast made any anger he might have felt for the old man disappear as fear for his son replaced it. "Are you certain?"

"Yes, they're disguised as merchant but Johann assured me their ship was not with him. They've come for Hiccup's body."

"Body? Hiccup's not dead," Stoick pointed out in confusion.

"No, but I made Savage think he was and if they discover he's alive…"

"Good Thor…" Stoick breathed. He left Mildew where he was and hurried back up to Gobber. "Gobber! There's Outcasts on the island. We need to find Hiccup. Gather the kids and have them take to the skies. I'm going to find Dagur and search the forest."

Gobber dropped the prosthetic in a bucket of water and quickly instructed one of the Berserker blacksmiths to remove it in within thirty seconds. Then, grabbing his sword, he rushed out to find Astrid and Snotlout. If Outcasts were on the island they didn't have a moment to lose.

Mildew slumped on a nearby bench and watched the two men race off as he debated between staying and making sure they found the boy safely or stowing away in Johann's boat and forgetting the whole thing. For whatever reason, he chose to sit back and wait. He was tired of running. Once he was a great warrior, it was time he stood up and acted like one, even if only figuratively.

. . .

Dagur was lugging out a few more items from his hut, a few more mementoes that he decided needed preserving but seeing that fear and tension in Stoick he dropped everything as his chest tightened. "Where's Hiccup?" he asked before Stoick could ask him the same question.

"He hasn't come back?" Stoick asked, his fear seeming to grow with every second that passed.

"No, I haven't seen him," Dagur answered, his own heart pounding now as fear gripped his heart. "Where's Toothless?"

"With your sister and her friends. They haven't stopped feeding him and the other dragons."

Dagur couldn't help but laugh. These "domesticated" dragons were going to grow fat and lazy under Cora's supervision. But they didn't have time to fetch the dragons. With any luck the riders would gather them and help search for Hiccup. He followed Stoick into the forest but the woods were vast and tricky to navigate and it was a wonder that Hiccup had been able to transverse it at all in his condition. Worse there was no way to tell which way he went for sure and even though Dagur prided himself as a tracker it took far longer than he liked to find Hiccup's tracks but when he did he and Stoick were led on a merry chase through the woods until they reached the stream where Hiccup's prints disappeared and two new sets showed up but they too led to the stream and no further. There Dagur stood dumbfounded. He was sure certain they went upstream but from there he wasn't sure. The Outcasts – he had no doubt in his mind that they had taken _his_ Hiccup – could have gone anywhere, mostly likely west or south but how far ahead of them were they? The Berserkers could comb the entire island and may not find them in time, not with everyone so focused on repairing the village. He hated to admit it but they needed the dragons and fast but until the dragon riders took to the sky he had to rely on instinct and decided he and Stoick should head to the western shores. It was the only logical place for the Outcasts to moor.


	21. Chapter 21

**Wow, last chapter I made a lot of spelling errors at the beginning but then my son was feeling well so focusing wasn't easy at first so I do apologize for all the errors and hopefully I do better today...I don't often have time to double check my spelling and grammar due to writing stream of conscious and time constraint. As for a beta, well I don't use one because I want everything out of my head and out in the world asap, unless working on my novels or screenplays but then I have no choice, that's work this is fun so I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter.**

Brothers 21

Finding the Outcasts proved far more difficult than Dagur anticipated. He and Stoick had gone to the western shores, expecting to find the Outcasts there. They did find the boat but no one else was there and that rather surprised and confused both chieftains. Why would they abandon their ship if they were kidnapping Hiccup? Wouldn't they need it to get away and bring Hiccup to Alvin? Could they have gotten lost? That seemed rather unlikely but it was possible. Anything was possible, Dagur supposed. Hell, they could have ridden a dragon off the island. He _really_ hoped that wasn't the case otherwise Stoick and the riders would have to track them down and Dagur would feel responsible for losing his brother after swearing to protect him. Nonetheless he wasn't about to give up. He would every inch of the island and then, if he couldn't find Hiccup, he'd take a boat or find a dragon of his own and set out for Outcast Island and put an end to Alvin and his crew once and for all.

The beating of powerful wings made him look up to see Snotlout, Astrid and the other riders flying above. They landed in a group, looking as if they moved in sync, and waited near the boat, as confused as to why they were there and the Outcasts and Hiccup weren't. Stoick's dragon was with them and lumbered over to his rider like an overstuff horse to its master with Gobber on its back.

"What is this?" Snotlout asked, jumping off Hookfang. "Gobber said the Outcasts were here but we saw no one this side of the island. Didn't you say that here and the south shore were the only safe places to reach the shore?"

"Shut up, I'm thinking," grunted Dagur as he looked around. The Outcasts were ahead of them, how far ahead he wasn't sure but if this was their ship they should have made it here and cast off by now. So why didn't they?

Stoick took charge of the situation. "Snotlout, you, Fishlegs, and the twins follow the coastline. If you see another boat send one of the Terrors to me. Astrid, Fishlegs and I will search the island. The Outcasts have to be here somewhere," he instructed as he took Thornado's reins and climbed on his back. "Astrid, Dagur will be riding with you."

The girl looked appalled by the idea and Stormfly actually shuffled away from Dagur in a mix of fear and disgust. Dagur was not anywhere near Astrid's top hundred favorite people and with the strangeness between him and Hiccup…well Astrid just didn't want any part of it or the deranged Viking. Thankfully Toothless managed to catch up with them by then and Dagur had his own ride albeit on land.

"Thank you, Toothless," Astrid breathed with a sigh of relief. She didn't understand why Toothless was so willing to let Dagur ride him but it was better than the Berserker riding her Stormfly.

Dagur shot her a glare but said nothing. "Fine, if they're heading to the south we should go east. Call it a hunch but I think they might have got turned around."

Stoick gave a nod. "Alright, keep in contact. Fishlegs, keep Horrorcow or Iggy, whatever you call that Terror of yours, ready with any news. Understood?"

The heavy set boy saluted. "Yes, sir. Come on, Meatlug, let's find Hiccup."

The two groups of fliers took to the air while Dagur and Toothless ran back up hill and toward the cliffs on the east side of the island. They searched as they ran, Toothless sniffing the air and pausing to howl every so often and waiting for an answer that never came. Dagur tried imitating the call, hoping that if Hiccup was out there and conscious that maybe he'd answer back. Toothless gave him a curious look but howled again and if it weren't for the situation at hand Dagur would have laughed and continued. It was a rather fascinating game making dragon cries but as fun as it was he had to keep focus. They had to find Hiccup and thankfully once they reached the stream again Toothless seemed to pick up his rider's scent and the race began.

A few hundred yards out a small Terrible Terror leapt out of the bushes and jumped on Toothless's head, surprising Dagur. He went to grab it and throw it off the larger dragon's head but stopped when he noticed Toothless wasn't bothered by the creature but rather happy to see it as he made some bleating noses as if talking to it. A moment later the ebony dragon's speed picked up and Dagur found himself holding on for dear life.

. . .

"Savage, I think were lost," Bellbus said as he followed Savage toward the rocky cliff face. They had been walking far longer than he recalled when they came to the island and judging by the sun they were on the completely wrong side of the island.

Savage ignored him as he carefully scaled the worn path with his precious cargo. He had come to the conclusion that although he respected Alvin greatly there were some things he could not abide by, namely what he knew his great leader had planned for the child. If it was simply training dragons and making Hiccup his protégé than fine but Savage knew Alvin far too well and knew that now that Hiccup had proven himself in one on one battle against what was supposed to be one of the greatest swordsmen in history, that Alvin would find the need to break the boy just as he had a few older teens in the past. They were now savage Outcasts with the same unrelenting cruelty and hunger Alvin was capable of and if they got their hands on Hiccup then the boy was worse off than dead. Death would seem like a blessing.

So Savage came to a decision. After all Mildew had been right when he announced Hiccup was dead, even if it had been a lie. Without Hiccup, Berk would have to rely on the other less dragonwise teens and throw the Hooligans' defenses off kilter, the Berserkers would have no one to train their dragons and while Alvin may be enraged by the boy's death he would be more focused on his goals as chief rather than on what Hiccup could possibly give him be it dragon trainer or as a play thing. Hiccup's death would end the insanity that had befallen the Outcast chieftain since learning of the destruction of Red Death. It was the only thing that made a lick of sense and was so much better than listening to the child's horrid screams as Alvin took his innocence from him.

Bellbus must have fingered out by now that something wasn't exactly right. He hurried after Savage with a worried little frown. "You're not going to do what I think you are, are you?" he asked, scrambling to get in front of his superior officer.

Savage shoved him out of the way as he neared his destination, the highest top edge of a sheer cliff with jagged rocks at the base, hundreds of feet down that the sea slammed into. He looked down, feeling a sense of vertigo as he looked down. It was perfect. No one could survive such fall, not even the great Dragon Conqueror. All he had to do was drop the boy and that would be it and Hiccup would never feel a thing in his unconscious state. It would be fast, easy and painless and spare the child the life time of pain he would suffer at Alvin's hands.

"No, Savage, you can't be serious. Alvin will kill us if we don't bring Haddock to him," Bellbus said, getting as close to Savage as possible, his large hands up in order to try and calm the usually calm and collected Outcast who almost always thought things out before reacting, the guy who loved chowder and telling fantastical stories about his youth. "He'll feed us to that she-demon Whispering Death."

The older Outcast lowered the bundle from his shoulder and held Hiccup in both arms. He didn't pull the furs down, refused to look at the child's face. No, if he was going to do this then the last thing he wanted was to see his face. "We'll retrieve the body and bring it to Alvin afterward. He'll never know what happens here and if you so much as breathe a word of this I'll gut you, savvy?"

Bellbus just stared at him for a moment before slowly nodding. He knew just as well as Savage what Alvin would do if he got his hands on Hiccup and he couldn't bear the idea either. No, Savage was right; this was the best course of action even if murdering children was not something he took pleasure in.

A familiar dragon howl made both men jump. They looked at each other and then behind them and while the dragon wasn't close they only had a few seconds, maybe minutes, left before the dragon riders and that accurse Nightfury found them. Savage turned back to the cliff ready to drop his cargo when he nearly toppled over as well. Hiccup had woken up to the sound of his dragon's call. The boy was groggy and not completely there yet. He was shifting under the furs, mumbling softly as he tried digging himself out.

"What…uh…hey!" the boy grumbled as he managed to uncover his face. His eyes widen when he saw Savage and he began struggling, not yet realizing where he was or the precariousness of the situation.

Instinctively Savage held him tighter when all he had to do was let go and it would be all over. That hesitation gave Hiccup the opportunity to free his legs and kick out with his good leg, catching the man in the side of the head and followed the attack with a punch to the jaw. Savage wasn't expecting it although on hindsight he should have. The sudden pain to his skull caused him to lose his grip on the boy and he dropped the boy over the cliff. The last thing he saw was a pair of wide frightened green eyes as Hiccup fell to his death.

A split second later both Outcasts were knocked to the ground by an angry Nightfury while Dagur jumped off Toothless's back and rushed to the edge of the cliff, ready to jump off in order to save Hiccup. But it was too late. There was nothing he could do.

. . .

Hiccup was falling and even though his mind was not yet fully awake it didn't need to be for him to understand one very important thing, he was about to die. The rushing of air past his ears was so loud he could barely think past it and it was only reflex that made him turn in mid fall to see exactly where he was falling to. He gulped in fear at the sight of jagged rocks below him, seemingly rushing up to meet him and crush his already beaten body. He crossed his arms over his eyes to block out the sight and prayed that when he hit he would be killed right out and not be forced to suffer and drown with the rising tide but at the last possible moment he heard his name above the deafening howl of the wind and looked up to see Snotlout and Hookfang coming toward him at high speed. They were to his left and below him and Hiccup was unsure if they would be able to reach him in time but he reached out for his cousin's hand nonetheless.

He hit Hookfang's wing and tumbled over it before he could gain purchase but just as he thought he was doomed a large hand grabbed his, thick fingers locking around his narrow wrist. He looked up, never so happy to see his cousin in his young life. The older boy gave a lopsided relieved smile as he held onto Hiccup tightly. Hookfang climbed upward until they reached the top of the cliff.

"Roll with the fall," Snotlout advised before letting Hiccup go a few feet above the ground but rather than hitting rocky ground he was caught by Dagur who very gently and carefully lowered him to the ground.

Within seconds the rest of the dragon riders also landed and surrounded Hiccup and the two Outcasts but it wasn't them that had captivated Hiccup. He was trying to gather his wits and make sense of everything that had transpired in less than thirty seconds. His heart pounded uncontrollable and only seemed to increase when he met Dagur's gaze. Dagur had the strangest look on his face; something akin to the look he gave Hiccup when he discovered him on Dragon Island, a mix of surprise, relief and something else…something Hiccup couldn't put his name on. Maybe it was just the fact that Snotlout had been able to get to him in time but whatever it was it was almost haunting and Hiccup wasn't sure to look away or examine it further.

"Ha ha! See, I told you I'm the best dragon riding," Snotlout crowed as he jumped off Hookfang and did a hero pose in front of Astrid as Stormfly and Thornado landed not far from them. "That whole rescue plan…nailed it!" Hookfang knocked him into the trees with his tail, making the other riders laugh at the show off.

Hiccup smiled at the dragon's antics and tried to sit up and to be pulled back down to a lounging position in Dagur's arms.

"Don't move, Hiccup," Dagur instructed, his voice surprisingly soft as he checked the smaller boy over for injuries. He laid Hiccup down and checked every inch of him over, not allowing either Stoick or Gobber to do so. "I'm chieftain here and he's my guest…my responsibility," he told Stoick when the elder chief went to take Hiccup from him.

Hiccup offered his father a reassuring smile. "I'm okay," he assured.

Stoick's eyes brightened at the sound of his child's voice, even if it was still rather hoarse and whispery. "Are you sure?"

"A little shook up but yeah, I'm fine." The other kids began cheering happily as the dragons – all but Toothless – guarded the two Outcasts. Toothless bounded over to Hiccup and all but drowned him in affectionate licks and snuggles until Hiccup was giggling and trying to wiggle away and further into Dagur's arms although that wasn't his intent. "Toothless! Stop, stop…ew! What have those kids been feeding you? Toothless…stop, he he…Good Thor, your breath is awful!"

Dagur gave a small chuckle as well, one arm around Hiccup's shoulders, the other on his belly in a rather intimate way that made Hiccup look at him once more, a little perplexed by the gentle touches. For a moment they simply stared at each other as Hiccup kept a hand on Toothless's muzzle to keep the dragon from giving him a complete bath.

"What?" he asked when Dagur just kept staring at him.

The older boy shook his head, his smile thoughtful and filled with that strange emotion that Hiccup couldn't identify. "I just realized that the great and powerful Dragon Conqueror who not only killed Red Death but took down Alvin the Treacherous all by himself definitely still needs a big brother to look out for him," Dagur teased as he brushed Hiccup's shaggy hair away from his eyes, but the look in his eyes wasn't that of a teasing brother but something more. There was adoration and respect and something Hiccup just couldn't name and it both frightened him and thrilled him all at once. Or maybe that was just the near death experience and whatever horrid stuff that was in that rag that had been shoved over his mouth and nose by the Outcasts talking. He wasn't quite sure and judging by the sudden silence of just about everyone around him – the twins wouldn't stop chattering even if it was the end of the world – he guessed they were wondering too. But for now Hiccup was just happy to be alive and not at the bottom of the cliff a broken and dead husk even if it meant Dagur was going to fuss over him as if he were nothing but a small defenseless child. After all, his father did it enough when he got hurt, what could it hurt?

The answer he would later learn was very far from anything he ever imagined.


	22. Chapter 22

Brothers 22

**Trigger warnings, talk of rape and underage noncon sex.**

The village was in a happy uproar when Dagur and the dragon riders with a safe Hiccup and the two Outcasts in tow. Dagur was a little disappointed that Stoick and Gobber refused to let him gut the Outcasts who dared to kidnap Hiccup and attempt to murder him but with the Hooligans history with the Outcasts Stoick was certain there was more to what had nearly happened than there appeared and insisted on interrogating the two somewhere private. So Dagur offered him one of the few remaining barns that hadn't been burned down on the condition that he got to participate and Hiccup, since he was the victim, insisted he sit in as well, after all he did have the right to know why the two men had thrown him off a cliff – although nothing really surprised him anymore when it came to the Outcasts and knowing Alvin he was probably sore for losing to Hiccup. Boy was he wrong.

Savage was not comfortable speaking in front of the two boys and insisted repeatedly that he wished only to speak to Stoick and that the topic was not appropriate for either youth. For the most part Stoick tried convincing the boys to leave but Dagur pulled rank, his island, his village, his guest and he was chieftain on said island. Hiccup, deciding to take a page from Dagur's book, smiled sweetly and claimed that as the "Hope and Heir" of the Hooligans he had a responsibility to sit in on such interrogations in order to learn how to be a good leader and protect his people. Stoick stared at him in shock. He couldn't argue when his son presented such a logical argument and argued to it, much to Savage's disappointment. Snotlout tried arguing reasons for him to stay as well since if anything happened to Hiccup he would have to replace him as heir but despite his new protectiveness of his younger cousin Stoick put his foot down and had Gobber usher the rest of the teens out. Of course Toothless stayed as protection for Hiccup.

The blacksmith return a few minutes later with Hiccup's new prosthetic. The young heir gave a childish cheer at the sight of it, making Stoick and Gobber smile. Gobber scooped the youth up and sat him on the tack table. "Now remember, tell me if the fitting is too tight. Your stump is swollen so if it hurts with the prosthetic then it's not good for you to wear. And no lying either."

Hiccup nodded, knowing the routine. He sat back and bent the stump of his left leg toward his god father and sat still as the cup of the prosthetic was slipped over it. He wince slightly, not in pain but at the strange feel the contraption always gave him when put on, as if such a thing didn't belong there and only confirmed he was missing a leg. Usually it was heavier than his real leg was but this new one was far lighter. He looked at it curiously. It looked like his old one but the metal seemed slightly different. Then it hit him and he looked up at his mentor in surprise. "Gronkle Iron?" he asked, flexing his leg. The weight felt almost as if this was his real leg and not some wooden and iron one. "I thought Fishlegs couldn't find the proper ore mix for Meatlug."

"Well it would seem the two went on another feeding frenzy when the Berserkers took you and they came across it by accident again," Gobber answered with a proud smile, "There wasn't as much this time but thankfully just enough to build you this and new rods for Toothless. The chances of them being bent or twisted again are very unlikely."

"Should we be discussing this in front of them?" Dagur grumbled although he was very fascinated by the mental and Hiccup's new leg.

Stoick gave a nod and waved the three into silence as he turned to the two bound Outcasts kneeling in the corner of the barn. "Aye, now tell us exactly what Alvin's orders were and why he wants my son dead?" he demanded of Savage.

The Outcast second-in-command was silent for a moment, his gaze lifting from the hay covered floor to Hiccup across from him, once more silently pleading for the boy to not be there but alas there was no way to make him leave so he sighed and told Stoick the truth. If anything it might scare the child and keep him as far from Alvin as possible and if it did not scare Hiccup it was sure to frighten his father enough to keep a better eye on his child. "Alvin doesn't want the boy dead he wants him as his personal dragon trainer and…cabin boy." Okay, he couldn't bring himself to say sex toy, not in front of the child.

Stoick raised a suspicious brow. "Cabin boy? What would Alvin have need of a cabin boy for?"

Savage wanted to bang his head. Cabin boy might have been the wrong phrase. He raked his brain and tried to come up with another way of explaining himself without saying the exact words. "You remember Alvin's mother, the witch Excellenor?"

"A deranged, sick woman who fed on the souls of children," Gobber spat in disgust. "It was said she would drink the cream of young boys during the early stages of their puberty to ward off age and gain strength. Many boys never came home right in the head…if they came home at all."

"And Alvin has taken after her," Savage said with a nod, as if confirming the rumors of the old witch was true. The witch Excellinor was ancient, older than Mildew and Old Wrinkly by nearly a century and while Alvin was no older than Stoick he clearly followed in his mother's footsteps. "If Hiccup won't train his dragons then he'll take everything he has from him, starting with his innocence, virginity and everything else he can take until the boy is a broken husk and an Outcast like the rest of us or as deranged as him." He nodded toward Dagur whose face had gone incredibly pale as the meaning of Savage's words reached him.

Hiccup, who only had a basic understanding of sex and rape looked a little confused by it all and gaze the grownups questioning looks, as if needing to know more and what it all meant but Stoick and Gobber ignored him as their faces paled as well in horror.

"Alvin didn't send us here to kill Hiccup, he wanted us to find evidence to prove he had been killed in battle and if he wasn't to capture him and bring him back to Alvin. I may be an Outcast, Stoick, but I'm not a rapist and I will not condemn a child to such horrors. Hiccup is better off dead than with that man between his legs."

That made Hiccup flush in a mix of disgust and embarrassment. The last thing he ever wanted to imagine was a big oaf like Alvin anywhere near his privates. He could never picture himself submitting to someone like Alvin the Treacherous. No, he'd kill himself first. He shuddered at those thoughts, certain that his nightmares for the next while would be horrid one. Gobber squeezed his good knee in support while Dagur wrapped a protective arm around him.

Stoick fought to control his temper. Every inch of him was as tense as a bow string and his fists clenched and unclenched in anger but somehow, with a mighty will power that could no doubt rival the All Father, he reigned in his emotions. "So a mercy killing?" he asked, his voice low and rumbling.

"If Alvin learns Hiccup's alive do you honestly think he'll stop hunting the boy down?" Savage asked. He shook his head. "I will not bear witness to another child's destruction."

Heavy a great sigh Stoick leaned against the edge of the table next to Hiccup and fell silent in thought. He wasn't sure what to do here. Yes these men had tried to kill his son yet at the same time they were trying to spare him from a much worse fate. He wasn't quite sure how to react. Normally he would kill anyone who dared harm his child but to do so would give Hiccup's survival away and more Outcasts would to the island to search for their missing comrades as well as Hiccup and Stoick wasn't about to endanger more people.

"Well then you won't after," Dagur was saying to the Outcasts as he unsheathed his sword. "We'll just gut you now and you'll never have to worry about Alvin soiling any more children."

"Dagur, wait," Stoick said as he quickly moved across the room to place a hand on the young chieftain's shoulder. "We're not going to kill them."

The youth looked outraged at being stopped and Stoick had to catch his wrist to stop him from potentially laying a blow to his head.

"We're going to give them the evidence they need to prove Hiccup is dead," Stoick explained gain a confused look from the young chief. "We'll make it that Alvin will never terrorize Hiccup again."

For a moment Dagur looked ready to argue, maybe even fight Stoick but one look at Hiccup's slightly ill look maybe him stop and he gave a nod. "Tell me what to do," he said, giving up command to the elder chieftain.

Stoick gave him a fatherly smile. "Go fetch Toothless's harness and the broken rods and tell your uncle to bring Hiccup's bloody clothes from the Great Hall." He turned toward Savage once more. "What sort of evidence do you need do you need to present Alvin, short of a body?"

"Whatever you can spare," Savage answered, his shoulders relaxing and fear of execution melting away.

The Hooligan chief nodded. "You will remain here until we've gathered your evidence," Stoick said as he walked back to his son and lifted him off the table and carried him out of the barn, regardless of his arguments and insistence on walking. He was letting Hiccup stay anywhere near the Outcasts longer than necessary.

Toothless growled at the two men and then followed his rider and chief out, his tail swishing as Dagur gave him a quick scratch behind his frills before darting off to gather what Stoick had asked for. In less than an hour torn, blood soaked and burnt rags – what was formerly the tunic Hiccup wore when fighting Alvin – twisted rods from Toothless's harness, a broken dagger and a replica of Hiccup original prosthetic that Gobber had hurriedly fashioned and made look as if it had been twisted and bent out of sharp, and with a little blood donated from Hiccup, it looked as if it been through hell and back again. Stoick trimmed Hiccup's hair, getting rid of the burnt ends and dusting the tunic with some strains. It was probably more than Savage needed but he could decide what would fool Alvin and what wouldn't.

"Now what?" Hiccup asked, staring at the items a little fearfully. He never had to fake his own death before and hoped never to have to again.

"We celebrate your funeral," Mildew suddenly announced with a big smile as he hobbled over.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he glared at the old man. Yeah, that makes him feel a whole lot better. "I thought you were catching a ride with Johann," he grumbled, not wanting to think of his "funeral".

"Bah, I couldn't leave until I knew what the Outcasts were up to. So pretending your death, are we?"

"Mildew, hush," Stoick said as he did a quick head count of the items in the box. "Besides, it's tradition to celebrate the life and death of an heir on the home soil."

"Unless the body is unable to be transported due to its condition," Mildew argued as he leaned against his staff still looking rather smug but there was also wisdom in his pale eyes.

"Ah…supposedly dead kid standing right here," Hiccup said, becoming annoyed by the whole situation. He folded his arms against his slim chest and noticed to his dismay that his father was now taking Mildew seriously.

"We build a fake body, cover it in the finest furs and place it in a boat. It we set it adrift and have the archers set it on fire. Alvin will see it and assume it's Hiccup," Mildew continued as if Hiccup hadn't spoken.

"It might work," Gobber said thoughtfully as he stroked his mustache. "Of course if Alvin figures out it's a ruse then he might try attacking again."

"Nah…if the archers aim for the haul and the sail it'll sink long before Alvin can get to it. He'll assume the body burned up and sank to the bottom of the sea. We'll just weight the 'body' down and he'll never know the difference," said Mildew with a sick gleam to his eyes.

"You guys do know I'm alive and standing right here…right?" asked Hiccup, not liking how detailed this plan was becoming. "He's more than likely spotted me hobbling around here by now.

This time Stoick hushed him. "According to Savage Alvin's ship is moored amongst Thor's fingers well enough away that he wouldn't be able to spot you even with a spy glass."

"Then why not simply attack his ship and end this?" Hiccup insisted unable to understand why they were going through with this ruse. "You know, do the Viking thing and finish him?"

The grownups looked at each other before gently smiling at him, as if he were a small child who didn't understand the concept behind what they were doing, and asked Dagur to take him to the Great Hall while they talked it out. After all, Hiccup was a Hooligan and if they were going to through a fake funeral it would have to be done the Hooligan way. Hiccup only threw up his hands in disgust and followed Dagur, Toothless close behind and protectively taking the rear. He wasn't happy, not in the slightest. Here he was the future of his tribe and now he had to play dead to a maniac when they should simply take out Alvin and be done with the Outcasts? It made no sense. Why? Why not just take the dragons and sink his ship and let Alvin drown? He froze, realizing what he had just thought and while he hated Alvin with every inch of his core he had never truly wished the man's death. Yes, he had on more than one occasion led Toothless in firing on the man without regard for Alvin's life but he had never outright wanted anyone dead before. He hugged himself and hung his head. What had become of him to think in such a manner? Maybe Mildew's idea had merit. Perhaps by pretending he had died it would discourage Alvin from attacking Berk or at least give the Hooligans the advantage of preparing for a full scale Outcast attack. Whatever the case Hiccup still didn't like it but also didn't know what to do.

Dagur seemed to understand his unease and placed an arm around Hiccup's narrow waist, lower than usual but not in an uncomfortable way. Before Hiccup realized it he was leaning against the older boy, needing the comfort and odd security he felt from the older boy recently and for the first time in many years he could remember the brotherly bond they once shared.

"Just think of it this way, Hic," Dagur said softly as they went to a virtually bare corner of the Great Hall, an area they had pretty much called their own since the villagers first moved into the huge building. Toothless curled up in the corner for a much needed nap as Hiccup leaned against a pillar in exhaustion despite his unconventional nap thanks to the Outcasts. Dagur stayed close. "When Alvin does learn the truth he won't know what hit him. You're not going to be that scrawny little boy he thought he could capture and control." He cupped Hiccup's cheek tenderly and made him look up, their gaze meeting. There was that strange look again, one so unlike Dagur, so tender and full of something Hiccup couldn't place. "When next he sees you you'll be a warrior with two armies standing behind you."

Hiccup's brows rose and he was about to question the older boy when the strangest thing happened. Dagur lowered his head oh so slowly toward Hiccup's, his green gaze mesmerizing the younger boy and then warm, moist lips touched Hiccup's first gently, as if testing the waters and then with more pressure as his arms wrapped a little tighter around the smaller boy. Hiccup didn't know what to do at first, he had never been kissed like this before and it was rather breathtaking and exhilarating and frightening all at once. This wasn't the innocent press to the lips like the kisses Astrid gave him, even though they made his heart pound uncontrollable in his chest, but this, this was different. His heart pounded but not uncontrollably as if he might faint, this was somehow different, more controlled as if this was something he sorely needed and had waited far too long for Dagur to kiss him. So when he felt Dagur's lips move Hiccup did the same and when a tongue pushed against his teeth he opened his mouth and nearly laughed when Dagur's tongue warred with his. It was such an odd feeling and strange taste to have another's tongue in his mouth. He closed his eyes and savored the strange experience certain to have many questions later that Dagur would no doubt want to answer…or answer in far too much detail…it all depended on the older boy's mood.

"So?" Dagur breathed when he finally pulled back and broke the kiss. "What do you think?"

Hiccup smiled up at him as he opened his eyes, wanting to ask where exactly the kiss had come from. Surely Dagur wasn't in love with him otherwise why call him "brother". His gaze flicked to just behind Dagur and his smile faded. "I think my Dad's head is about to explode."


	23. Chapter 23

Brothers 23

Everyone heard the stories of Stoick the Vast and his great temper but for Dagur it had always been a story until he saw the mix of fear, awe and surprise in Hiccup's eyes as he looked at his father over Dagur's should and for once the Berserker chief was sure he was in big trouble. And when he turned around he didn't feel like a might Berserker or even a powerful chieftain, he felt like a little boy caught with his hand in a cookie jar facing a force more powerful than a thousand angry dragons. Stoick loomed over him with an angry scowl, his bushy brows together in a furrowed line. Dagur took an involuntary step back and instinctively reached out to grasp Hiccup's hand, surprising himself and the younger boy. Stoick seemed to notice this as well for his hard glare seemed to only intensify and Dagur made a little eep that sounded way too girly for even his ears.

"I…ah…we…er…" he rambled, looking completely out of sorts as he kept his eyes firmly on Stoick's belt rather than meeting his intense emerald gaze. "Sir…I….wow that's a wide belt…"

Hiccup wasn't quite sure what to say either. One moment Dagur was saying they were brothers and joking about the birds and the bees and then kissing him and while that was…well weird it wasn't altogether bad and now before he could even figure out what all this meant – assuming Dagur would ever explain himself – he was his father ready to kill Dagur and possibly start a war. "Uhm…Dad? I know this must look bad but…"

"Silence, Hiccup," Stoick said so firmly Hiccup had no choice but to button his lip and hope for the best.

This wasn't something he could argue about especially considering he really didn't understand what had happened himself. Dagur squeezed his hand a little tighter, surprising Hiccup further. Was Dagur's hand shaking?

Stoick seemed to notice this as well but he didn't lighten his mood. "Now correct me if I'm wrong but what I just witnessed was under the definition of brother or has that somehow changed in the last five minutes?" he asked, the question directed toward Dagur who hung his head like a kicked puppy. "Now considering everything that has happened to Hiccup the last few days do you not think this will only overwhelm him more?"

Dagur said nothing, his eyes still firmly on the wide belt around Stoick's wide middle. "Maybe," he answered, his voice very meek and unDagur like. "I mean yes, sir."

Hiccup stared at the older boy in shock. This was completely unlike Dagur. There was no lunatic yelling and arguing. He bowed before Stoick as if he were his father reprimanding him for being naughty. What had happened in the time since battling Alvin to now? What had his father done to Dagur to make him act…normal? Hiccup watched in fascination as Stoick's stern face softened just a little.

"Now if this silliness is over I suggest you help your uncle while I talk to my son," Stoick continued, his gaze never leaving Dagur until the boy nodded and darted away as if being chased by hungry dragons ready to tear him to shreds. Actually that was a good description for the look Stoick gave him. Then, as if by magic, that stern face turned fatherly was more as he turned back to Hiccup who stood before him shell shocked and more confused than ever. "Did he force himself on you?" he demanded, his voice a hiss just above a whisper.

Hiccup blinked then blinked again before understanding hit him and he shook his head. "No…no it wasn't like that, Dad. He…I…it's complicated?"

"Uncomplicate it."

"Is that even a word?" Gobber asked, surprising Hiccup. He hadn't noticed the blonde Viking was with his father.

"Gobber!" Stoick snapped giving his friend a glare.

"Well is it?"

Stoick rolled his eyes and shook his head before looking back at his son. "Hiccup, I don't think that whatever you and Dagur are doing is a good idea right now. A lot has happened to you in a short time and I know you're very confused but I don't want you letting that boy take advantage of you."

"I wasn't," Hiccup objected, confused and rather put out to be accused of letting anyone take advantage of him. "It just kind of happened."

"I understand that but…"

"Don't you think maybe he's a little shell shocked, too?" Hiccup forged ahead, feeling the sudden need to defend Dagur. "This whole thing with the Outcasts was his first real battle. Yeah I know he led a few attacks but even you said that that is nothing compared to having to defend your home and with his dad gone and me here that must have been frightening for him."

"Hiccup…"

"He doesn't have any parents left. He has a baby sister to care for and then with this whole brother thing he felt the need to protect me and I nearly died…twice under his watch. Doesn't that kind of stress mess with your head? He has his aunt and uncle to fall back on but it's not like having a parent and…"

Stoick grabbed his shoulders. "Hiccup, he murdered his father."

"I know that! And I know why too." He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling exhausted and worn and as if he had been beaten to within an inch of his life, and he had been but he wasn't about to let his father go onto a tirade about Dagur acting any weirder than he usually did. "Look, Dad, I love and respect you but Dagur is messed up for a reason and right now, for the first time in years we're actually getting along. So what if he kissed me, it's better than having knives aim at my head or being drowned."

His father fell silent and just stared at him for a long time. "I preferred when he thought he was your brother. At least then I knew he would protect you without molesting you. But if he dares try to go any further…"

Hiccup blushed bright scarlet and he looked away sheepishly. He had never thought of something like that with Dagur. Maybe with Astrid, he had fantasied about her for as long as he could remember and maybe Ruffnut once or twice but that girl was a sort of crazy that made Dagur almost look normal. "Uh…Dad, I don't think that'll ever happen."

Stoick nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Remind him you're supposed to be brothers or something. I don't want this – whatever this is – going any further, understood?"

Now Hiccup was confused again. He and Dagur weren't brothers but they were supposed to act like brothers and what? Watch out for each other and try to be friends? It couldn't progress any further than that? Maybe it was the stress Hiccup was under. Maybe he was just too overwhelmed by everything that had happened in such a short amount of time but he uttered something that managed to throw his father completely off kilter.

"Kind of like you and Gobber?" he asked, his gaze meeting his father's with a challenge.

Gobber's mouth fell open and he stared at Stoick with wide eyes. "Ah…Hiccup, what are you talking about, lad?"

Hiccup's gaze never left his father's and a tiny smirk lifted the corner of his lips. Stoick's glare hardened and for nearly a minute they had the staring contest of their lives but while Stoick was the mighty leader of the Hooligans Hiccup was a teenager who battled wits with the likes of Snotlout who may have not have a lot in the brains compartment but could do a mean staring contest. After less than a minute Stoick sighed and looked away.

"You were not meant to know about that," the chieftain grumbled, frowning at his son's victorious grin.

"For two friends who are meant to be like brothers you sure make a lot of noise at night. I'm just thankful you keep it at Gobber's place most nights," Hiccup said with that knowing grin that made both men flush bright red. "So if it's okay for you two _brothers_ why isn't it for me and Dagur?"

"Because you're children and we're grown men. Enough said," Stoick said, his voice making it clear that there would be no more discussion. It didn't wipe the grin from Hiccup face which made Stoick frown only more and the chieftain shook his head. Lead by example, he had always preached and obviously he had done a fine job. And while he knew that his relationship with Gobber by no means meant Hiccup would automatically have relations with another male it did make him feel as if this was somehow his fault. "Just get some rest and something to eat while we finish up with your 'funeral'. Toothless, watch over him."

The ebony dragon lifted his head and gave a mighty yawn before dozing back off. Stoick only shook his head and walked away. What was he going to do with the two boys? Perhaps…hopefully…it was only a phase the two would grow out of once things calmed down. Both boys were under a lot of stress after all and this was most likely Dagur's way of dealing with it.

. . .

The fake funeral went off without a hitch at sunset. Hiccup stayed hidden in the Great Hall, trying to rest while everyone else attended his supposed funeral. The Berserkers had given Stoick one of their smallest yet most elegant boats, something used for ceremonies rather than battle. The Hooligans outfitted it to look like one of theirs, quickly repainting the shields and decorating it in honor of a fallen hero and treating it as they would any other funeral pyre about to be sent off to Valhalla. For Stoick it became very emotional. While this was meant to only be a ruse to fool Alvin and keep him from ever harming Hiccup again it reminded Stoick of just how close he had come to losing his son, not once, not twice, but three times since the Berserkers attacked Berk and took Hiccup from him. Three times Hiccup had faced possible death and walked away. Three times Stoick had felt as if his very heart was being ripped out of his chest and stomped upon and this funeral, regardless of being fake, could have been very real had things gone just a little differently…had only a second or two passed too quickly. Today he could have really been sending his only child off to Valhalla and maybe that was why it seemed all too real when he carried the stuffed dummy that was built to exactly Hiccup's size – including the missing leg – wrapped in the best furs down to the waiting boat. He felt as if he truly was carrying Hiccup and sending him off to the Gods and the world beyond.

Gobber smiled softly, his face as glum as if he too saw the bundle in his friend's arms as the child he had helped raise and even the dragon riders all stood back sadly. Dagur stood off to the side, baring the role of leader of his people and proceeding over the memorial. He looked rather uncomfortable in such a role but as he had done the last few days when he had to send his own dead out to sea, he stood strong and said the prays as if he knew them inside and out, the only deference being Hiccup's status above the usual warriors and villages as the Hope and Heir of the Hooligans which meant he got special treatment. The Berserkers surrounded him in a semi-circle just as the Hooligans stood around Stoick after he laid the body in the boat and knelt to say his final good-byes. It felt as if he was really saying them to Hiccup and it brought tears to his eyes. Astrid was the one to place a hand on his shoulder and encourage him to leave the boat. Tears shimmered in her blue eyes when their gazes met and Stoick was certain she must have felt the same. This had come far too close to being real.

Two Berserkers spread oil over the "body" and every inch of wood on the boat before opening the sail and shoved the little boat out to sea. Once it was out several hundred feet Dagur gave the signal and his archers shot out fiery arrows toward it, their aim perfect and setting the oil on fire. It less than a heartbeat the whole thing erupted in flames. Toothless, whom Stoick had insisted be with them for the proceeding, gave a roar and then keened in longing as the ship burned away, supposedly with his rider – Hiccup had explained to him in Dragonese that this was all pretend but they needed it to look real so that Alvin would no attack them anymore. The other dragons followed Toothless's example and cried out as well, startling the Berserkers.

In the distance two ships could be seen trying to intercept the burning vessel, one being Savage, now free and with the items to "prove" Hiccup's death and the other presumably Alvin's. The dragon roared in outrage at the sight of them and took to the air to defend their friend's body, circling around the burning boat and keeping the other two boats back until it sunk, each one crying a sad song and keening to the heavens. It was a sorrowful sound that echoed all across the Archipelago to reach the shores of far off tribes as if announcing to the world that Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third was gone. It had the right effect and both Outcasts boats fled, their target now gone.


	24. Chapter 24

Brothers 24

**For those how don't luck dagcup well I'm sorry but that's my new favorite pairing and while I know brothers kissing and getting it on is not everyone's cup of tea please remember that Hiccup and Dagur are NOT BROTHERS. They're sort of like foster brothers and if you've never seen foster brothers get it on then you've never dealt with the foster system because I can tell you some stories. It doesn't always happen but sometimes...things just work out right. Oh, and for those who want a M rated chapter I'm not sure if I'll add that to this or make it a separate story but there may be a few spin offs of this and maybe a sequel or two later on. **

If there was one thing Vikings of all classes and tribes knew how to do it was to party. Be it a victory party or the celebration of one's life lost in the most heroic way their celebrations lasted days with loud music, food and drink and much dancing. It should have been the greatest thing to hit the Berserkers as they celebrated their fallen heroes as well as Hiccup's "funeral" but for Dagur who had to proceed over far too many funerals in the last few days the last one was the hardest. Yes it had all been pretend but it felt far too real. It had been extremely hard not to walk away from the whole affair and rush back to the Great Hall just to make sure Hiccup was alive and well, especially after the boat sank with the fake body. Everything had gone off without a hitch which was both a relief and shocking but staying to watch it all was worse than having a Nadder shoot a tail spike into his calf.

This should never have happened. Hiccup should never have been put into such danger. He should never have had to face Alvin alone or been allowed to walk around in the forest on his own, or at least without his prosthetic and Toothless. It was all Dagur's fault. After learning about Hiccup conquering the Red Death and then witnessing him fight the Nightfury – yeah that was faked but it had looked so cool at the time – and seeing Hiccup protect Cora he had assumed Hiccup could take care of himself. And for the most part he could but to have to fake his death to protect him from the Outcasts when they could have simply taken the dragons and destroyed Alvin…well that made no sense to Dagur. If it was up to Dagur he and Hiccup would have taken Toothless and sunk Alvin's ship and then laugh like madmen as they watched him and his lackeys all drown. Now that was how you ended a threat. Maybe…no, that would mean putting Hiccup in danger again and he wasn't about to do that.

Dagur slumped in his chair and stared out to where Hiccup was chatting with his friends, smiling so easily and laughing at something Fishlegs said while pointing out something in a book, their little Terrible Terrors climbing around their shoulders and over their heads. Dagur still couldn't understand how the Berk kids could be so at ease with dragons but it looked like fun. Even the Berserker kids seemed enthralled by not only the large dragons that roamed the Great Hall but by the little ones that they could hold and carry them around. It made Dagur smile. There were so few things that entertained his people positively and it made Dagur wonder about everything he had ever been raised to know about dragons. Hiccup and his friends were definitely on to something.

The more he watched Hiccup the more that strange feeling came to him. Not brotherly like before, actually it was a feeling that had started back on Dragon Island but he had squashed in his need to protect Hiccup and then again by his anger at learning he did indeed train dragons. That need for an equal and Hiccup was that equal. They would be perfect together, two strong and powerful leaders, their tribes united as one. It would be as it always should have when his grandfather tries to unite their tribes by having Stoick wed Valhallarama. They could fix the past and bring their tribes glory. But did he really love Hiccup or was his feeling due to all the stress and excitement of the last few days? He wasn't sure. He had never felt this way before about anyone and it definitely wasn't that of an older brother to a younger sibling it was something completely new. Not an infatuation like he felt for some of the tribe girls but something far stronger. What did that mean? Hiccup was supposed to be his brother yet he had kissed the younger boy and not a peck on the lips but a real kiss like how his father would kiss him just before…

He closed his eyes. No, he wasn't his father. He wasn't a monster. This weird feeling he had for Hiccup it wasn't the same. He wasn't looking for someone to warm his bed and give him pleasure he was looking for someone to be his equal, to be able to stand up to him and tell him he was wrong no matter how much he might think he was right because sometimes just sometimes he was wrong and needed someone to not be afraid to tell him and that was Hiccup. Hiccup wasn't afraid of him like he was when he was little. Hiccup was strong even though he was disabled. Hiccup was his equal, the calm to his rage. They were brothers yet not, not really. Stoick was right; they weren't really brothers so what was so wrong if they finally moved past that to something more grown up?

When he looked up he caught Hiccup watching him, his large eyes curious as ever but he gave a tiny grin when their gazes met and it made Dagur smile softly in return. Funny how Hiccup could do that to him. Everything seemed so natural with the smaller boy as if he was able to bring Dagur a sense of peace he had not had in such a very, very long time. Of course that blonde hair girl just had to get in the way and block Dagur's view of Hiccup and that was when the Berserker chieftain decided he was tired of hiding. Hiccup was his, be it brother or lover, Hiccup was his and it was time people knew that.

Problem was Stoick was amongst the small group of Hooligans, congratulating them on a job well done on the fake funeral and thanking each of them for their bright contributions. Taking on the role of chief Dagur did the same and Stoick smiled brightly at him, no longer threatening or the angry father. "I highly doubt Alvin will be a bother for some time," Stoick said proudly, his hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "I understand this must have been difficult for all of you pretending Hiccup was dead, most of you are very close and pretending a friend has died when they are very much alive and well…well it was hard for all of us. I'm proud of each of you for holding your own and not cracking even when Alvin went to intercept."

"So it's over? Alvin's not going to attack Berk or here again?" Fishlegs asked hopefully.

"No, he'll try again but not for a while," Stoick explained, his face solemn.

"This is only a temporary solution," Hiccup added, as if he was used to instructing the other teens. "Alvin will be back but right now he thinks I'm dead so he'll take the time to recover before attacking here or Berk which will give us time to build our defenses and when they strike they won't be expecting me or Toothless. It'll give the Flight Club a chance to practice our combat training and while I know the Berserkers play for keeps they're also our best bet to spare with. Their teens verses ours. We've gotten so used to fighting on our dragons that some of us need more one on one training like how Dagur and his uncle were training me the other day. We need to combine what our people taught us with theirs."

"I don't get it," Snotlout said with his arms folded across his chest. "We've got the dragons why would we need to fight hand to hand?"

"What if you get knocked off Hookfang and he can't get to you or he gets caught? You need to be able to defend yourself and him," Astrid pointed out as if the answer was obvious.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut bumped fists. "Cool, we get to get with Berserkers," said Tuffnut with a huge grin.

"Wild," Ruffnut added. "So is this like a competition?"

"This is not a competition," Hiccup said quickly, seeing where the others were bound to go with this.

"No competitions," Stoick intercepted, making sure the teens understood. "This will be a friendly skirmish."

Gobber leaned in close to him and whispered just loud enough. "Remember, Berserkers tend to play for keeps."

"I'll make sure everyone understands this is for fun," Dagur interrupted. He gave his best smile. "Although we could always make it interesting."

"Oh yeah?" asked Snotlout, more than willing to compete and win, especially against the Berserkers. After all he won every Thawfest so competing against the wild teens of Berserker Island would be nothing.

Dagur grinned. "If we win Hiccup gets to stay a month with us."

"Wait, what? I'm not part of this bet," Hiccup argued, his hands raised and looking to his father for help.

"Deal!" said Snotlout with the silliest grin ever.

Hiccup's eyes widened. "Hey!"

Astrid and Fishlegs began arguing with Snotlout right then and there while Hiccup repeated yet again he was no part of any bet and he couldn't be won.

"Hiccup is not part of any bets," Stoick said sternly, his voice loud enough to make all the teens jump to attention.

"Alright, alright, Hiccup can state the terms then," Dagur gave in, winking at Hiccup. Astrid bristled at the two that passed between the two boys.

"We're just practicing one on one combat, how did this turn into a competition?" the heir asked in annoyance.

"It's always a competition," Ruffnut explained as if she had said it many times now.

Hiccup rolled his eyes in annoyance. "How about you keep the twins then?" he told Dagur.

"Nope, we've got our own mix of crazies."

Waving his arms Hiccup gave up. "Alright, it's not as if we're doing this any time in the near future so how about we talk this out tomorrow or something."

"Which is Hiccup for he's this close to giving in," Snotlout explained to Dagur as he held his thumb and forefinger less than an inch apart.

Fishlegs suddenly bounced up and down. "I got it! How about air mail? We can show you all about air mail! See all you need is to train a Terrible Terror and…"

"FISHLEGS!" the Berk kids all yelled as if it was supposed to be a big secret.

"Alright," Dagur agreed now more curious than ever about the tiny dragons climbing all ever the teens.

Hiccup sighed but nodded. "Regardless of the outcome we'll teach you a bit about air mail." He glared at his friends. "And for the last time this isn't a competition. It's a friendly skirmish to improve our skills and theirs."

"We don't need to improve our fighting skills," Dagur teased but when Hiccup looked ready to yell he gave in. "But it never hurts to practice."

Stoick nodded in approval. "Excellent. Now the lot of you should enjoy yourselves. It's been a very long couple of days and I'm sure everyone could use a little relaxation time. Dagur, behave yourself."

Dagur gave a mock salute but when Stoick's gaze hardened he quickly nodded. Damn, Stoick knew how to make him feel small and childlike ever since the incident in front of his father's statue. It sort of felt like looking at the man his father could have been had he not took to the drink and become abusive. The man his father could have been had he not given into his sorrow and grief and let it turn him into a monster. Stoick was the kind of chief Dagur hoped to one day be, especially now that he knew just the type of man Stoick was. So he gave a nod and swore to somehow prove himself to the older man. Stoick returned his nod, his face softening just a little.

Once Stoick and Gobber were gone the teens began chattering again about the future skirmish, at everyone but Astrid who glared at Dagur with something akin to jealousy as she stormed up to him. "You kissed Hiccup?" she declared in anger, her voice a kiss just loud enough for the small group to hear.

"Oh oh," muttered Snotlout, smartly stepping back and pushing Fishlegs at the same time. "I've seen that look before."

"Cool," breathed Tuffnut.

"She's gonna punch his lights out," Ruffnut agreed, both teens having a demented smile on their faces.

Hiccup grabbed her arm to stop her. "Who told you that?" he demanded but the fear in his eyes only confirmed her words.

"Your dad was complaining to Gobber about it," she snapped at him. "Is it true? Did he kiss you? Did he force himself on you?"

"Astrid…" he sighed, unable to deny it but unable to admit it either. "Enough, it doesn't concern you."

The look she gave was one of horror and disgust. "So it is true."

While the two weren't officially a couple Hiccup and Astrid were much closer than the other teens. Hiccup had had a crush on Astrid for as long as he could remember but once they became friends that crush sort of petered out to a mutual friendship. Sure she kissed him from time to time but it wasn't as if they went past that. Hell, neither of them had done anything more than a little petting and none of their kisses were open mouth or as ground up as what had happened between him and Dagur.

As if reading Hiccup's mind Astrid grabbed him by the collar of his tunic, yanked him forward and kissed him deeply. It was still very innocent, mouth opened only a fraction of an inch but it lasted longer than ever before and when they broke Hiccup was breathless, eyes crossed and blinking in surprise.

"Uh…okay, that's not the response I was expecting," he breathed as he struggled to regain his thoughts.

Astrid flashed Dagur as sweet smile, as if to stay "beat that." Dagur gave a snort and walked past her. "You call that a kiss?" he grunted in amusement. "You've obviously never really kissed anyone before or maybe no one taught you _how_ to kiss."

Before Hiccup had a chance to process those words he was dragged into another kiss, this one full of passion, with open mouth and battling tongues. It was as heady as the first time and Hiccup's knees felt weak. It seemed to last forever and then was over far too soon and Hiccup found himself standing on shaky legs as he fought to not only control his breathing but his heart rate as well.

Everyone stared at him.

"How…he's supposed to be your brother!" Astrid yelled at Dagur in rage.

Dagur only shrugged and gave his best "I'm better than you" smile. "Foster brothers, brothers-at-arm…whatever. It's not like we're blood."

She just snarled at him while the twins whistled, obviously impressed.

"So is this a 'who can kiss Hiccup the best' competition?" Ruffnut asked, her blue eyes regarding Hiccup in a new light.

"Yeah, cause I can get down with that," Tuffnut added with a weird gleam.

Hiccup raised his hands and started backing away. "What? No. No, no, no, no, no. Whatever those two are up to it has nothing to do with me. Ah…I'm going to go and celebrate with the rest of the normal people. Later!" He turned on his heel and darted away, deciding he was safer with his father and Gobber than with the lunatics he usually thought of as his friends.

Astrid glared at Dagur. "You know a relationship built on a stressful situation never lasts," she pointed out.

Dagur returned that glare with one of his own. "Perhaps but at least I've never pretended about my feelings for him. I always looked out for him even when you five abused him. You're not his friends. All any of you care about is your status next to him. He's the Dragon Conqueror and you guys just little trainers. Without him you're nothing and I bet once you know everything you could possibly need you'll throw him aside until he's important again, most likely when he's chief and you decide you want to be part of his inner circle again. Yeah, I know kids like you. I've dealt with them and you're no different."

Astrid's face paled and she looked as white as a ghost, as did the other kids – although for the twins part they looked more confused than anything. Dagur turned away from them in disgust and then paused. "You know they say I'm the deranged one and maybe I am, but at least I never tried to be something I'm not. I never pretended to be his friend to gain favor, I was his brother first and then his friend." He stormed away, certain that Hiccup would late hear of his tirade and unsure how he would explain himself but someone had to put the Berk teens in their place. They may not see how sensitive and easily hurt Hiccup could be but he did. He knew and as his brother – regardless if they ever proceeded past that – it was his job to protect Hiccup, even if it meant from himself.

. . .

Not far from the village a large dark figure moved through the shadows intent on discovering the truth behind Hiccup's death. It made no sense for Stoick to send his only child to Valhalla from Berserker Island. As the Hooligan's heir Hiccup should have been returned to his homeland regardless of the condition of his body. Something seemed fishy and Alvin would learn the truth no matter who he had to kill to learn it from. Moving silently, one with the darkness in his heavy furs, he neared the Great Hall that was lit up and filled with music, a celebration for the fallen warriors. Here, here he would discover the truth.


	25. Chapter 25

Brothers 25

**So the last chapter and this one is just for fun and cuteness. I'm not really sure where I'm going from here but for whatever reason this story just wants to keep going. I've only ever had one other fic that just wanting to keep going so hopefully there's a reason behind it because I've got no clue now. I blame Dagur…and maybe the twins because how the hell did a "kissing Hiccup" competition fit into this fic? That crack should be a story unto itself.**

"Your friends are weird," a little voice announced, startling Hiccup. He glanced down to see Cora giving him a rather perplexed look and wide innocent green eyes. Her tiny hand slipped into his as it had a few times now and she leaned into him.

Smiling, Hiccup gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, I'll agree with you there." He knelt down to get to her height. "Hey, you okay? I'm sorry for everything that's happened the last few days."

She looked a little sad and if there was something Hiccup hated most it was seeing the little ones upset, especially Cora. He had come to really like the little girl. She was the closest he ever came to have a little sister. She shook her head and gave a little smile. "We're Vikings," she said.

He nodded. "Occupational hazard."

"Yeah. You okay?"

"I'm fine. I still have a sore throat but otherwise I'll be fine in a few more days. You?"

"M'okay." She looked away, toward the music and where other kids were dancing and jumping around. Some of the girls were dancing with their fathers and a longing filled Cora's face. She looked around the crowded room and back toward the teens, obviously searching for Dagur but her brother had gone missing, most likely dealing with chieftain stuff. "Where is he?" she asked, looking back up at Hiccup.

Hiccup looked around as well, knowing full well she wanted her brother to dance with her but wherever Dagur may have gone he was nowhere in sight. "I don't know. Would you like me to dance with you instead? I'm not very good but…"

She gave a squeal of delight so high pitch he nearly covered his ears. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" She grabbed both his hands and dragged him toward the dance floor, much to the humor of the grownups, namely Stoick, Harold and Rayanamiriam – Raya finally deciding not to hit Stoick and actually talk with him, although for whatever reason he didn't seem to mind too much when she did where as if it was anyone else he would have skinned them alive.

Now saying a child Cora's age was any good at dancing would be a far fetch but she was amusing as hell doing what Hiccup could only guess was a full body spasm, hop and jiggle that he could never imitate but he had fun swaying and holding her hands. She was a cutie and hearing her laugh and squeal in happiness along with her friends was only made Hiccup feel better about everything that had happened, especially his fake death that had been far too close to being real. It didn't seem to matter that he was perhaps the tallest kid on the dance floor and sure enough he forgot about it himself when Cora hopped up into his arms and clung to him as he sashayed around with her. He was even able to forget about the strangeness with his friends and the weird jealousy that Astrid seemed to be holding toward Dagur, the craziness of the twins and their whole "kissing Hiccup" competition which will never happen in a million years. No one was kissing him unless he said okay about it. After all, if Astrid could say "no" then so can he. He nodded to himself. Yep, no one was kissing him anymore unless he said okay to it and…

"Thank you!" Cora said, drawing him out of his thoughts as she placed a kiss on his cheek and hugging him tightly.

Okay, Cora could kiss him on the cheek whenever she wanted, he'd allow that. He hugged her back and playfully twirled her toward his friends before yelling out; "Cora wins!" he announced to the Berk teens much to their surprise. They all looked rather confused at the little girl in his arms. "Now no more competitions!"

Cora just giggled and kissed his cheek again.

Hiccup grinned and continued dancing with her. "You knew, huh?"

She nodded excitedly. "Like I said, your friends are weird."

"That they are."

Snotlout began laughing at Astrid. "Looks like Hiccup has a new girlfriend."

She glowered at him before glaring at Hiccup. She was not happy by any means. Since being kidnapped Hiccup had been acting oddly toward Dagur and his sister, as if he really were a part of their family rather than a victim. It made no sense. He should be trying to stay as far away from them as possible not cozying up to them and treating the little girl as if _he_ were her big brother regardless of their fathers once being buddies. And what the hell was with Dagur? As if the Berserker chief knew anything about Hiccup. He used to torment Hiccup worse than any of them ever did, they just ignored Hiccup when he was little not truly picked on him like Dagur used to. Okay, maybe Snotlout and the Twins did but that was different and they had made up for their past sins…sort of. But she…okay, so she was never very nice to him before Toothless came along either but since then they had become good friends and she had honestly thought there was more between them. It would seem she was wrong if Hiccup went weak in the knees when someone like Dagur kissed him. That wasn't right. Hiccup shouldn't like boys he should like girls, like her. How could he possibly have an heir when he became chief if he didn't take a bride when the time came? She shook her head. Okay, that was not a thought she should be thinking. She was far too young to be thinking of marriage and heirs and…ew…time to get off that thought pattern. Instead she shoved Snotlout out of the way and stormed toward the banquet table where she could drown her sorrows in some mead.

"She's pissed," Fishlegs observed and much to everyone's surprise Ruffnut followed the other girl without her twin in tow.

"Girl talk," Tuffnut explained with a shrug. "I don't get it but sometimes they just go off and talk. Kind of stupid if you ask me."

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "You don't know anything about girls," he crooned even though out of all of them Tuffnut was the only one with a sister. He shook his head and decided that regardless of it "being girl talk" time he would wander to the banquet table as well. Who knows, maybe Astrid would finally see he was just as good as Hiccup and take an interest in him. If not there were other cute girls he could flirt with.

. . .

Hiccup laughed as Cora bounded out of his arms to dance with Dagur when he finally reappeared but before he could say anything to the other boy he was hauled off the ground and up onto someone's shoulder as Dagur reintegrated how Hiccup was a hero and that Berserker Island and Berk were united as one – although Stoick seemed rather flustered by this at first but eventually nodded in agreement. The party took off after that with much cheering and drinking and Hiccup being bounced up and down and passed from shoulder to shoulder. This was something Hiccup wasn't really accustomed to. It had happened only once before after he awoke from the coma induced by his battle against Red Death when Toothless had saved his life. Eventually Dagur managed to get him down – that was rather amusing because it was Gobber who had Hiccup n his shoulder by that point and Gobber was trying to tell Hiccup a story about when he was young and some battle he and his father fought so long ago…Gobber was rather happy on beer by that time and Hiccup wasn't sure to laugh or feel sorry for his mentor. Gobber was sure to have a nasty hangover the next morning.

Of course Gobber trying to dance with Hiccup on his shoulder was a sickening experience that made Hiccup nauseous. And while holding the contents in his stomach down with all his will power Hiccup was almost certain he saw a cloaked figure hidden in a dark corner. His brows narrowed as he tried to get a good look at the figure but Gobber was dancing around in crazed circles as Dagur tried to make a grab for Hiccup, as if they were playing a demented game of cat and mouse. Hiccup couldn't get a good look at the figure and just when he thought he did he was passed to his father and the dance started all over again.

"Dad!" he hissed close to his father's ear, knowing the Stoick was also starting to feel good with all the food and drink, the merriment rubbing into his large frame. "Dad!"

Stoick looked up and gave his boy a big smile. "Yes?"

"I think Alvin's here," Hiccup answered, his voice just above a whisper so only the Hooligan chief heard him without starting a riot.

Stoick's eyes widen in surprise before narrowing. He lifted his son off his shoulder and pushed him into Dagur's arms, instructing the Berserker chief to watch him while he investigated. Hiccup gestured to where he thought he saw Alvin but it was hard to tell for certain since he was bounced around and really had no sense of direction at the time and he'd already drank a fair amount of mead himself. So it was no surprise when ten minutes later, after investigating the whole building with Gobber and Harold, Stoick returned to report that no one suspicious was in or around the Great Hall, much to Hiccup's relief. It had to be all the bouncing around and mead making him see things and relief flooded Hiccup. It had all been his imagination.

Dagur shoved a mug of mead into Hiccup's hands with a big giddy smile. "You're paranoid, Hic. Alvin's gone. You're safe, everyone's safe and like I said, if the old bugger ever shows up again you'll have two armies at your back. No one is ever going to try taking you again," Dagur said, clapping him on the back.

Hiccup wished he could feel just as secure as everyone else seemed to but he had a nagging feeling that Alvin was far closer than anyone expected. Maybe it was paranoia, maybe it was some sixth sensed but he knew that Alvin was far from giving up and he would be back far too soon. He never knew just how right he was.

. . .

Alvin laughed hysterically once he reached the darkness of the forest again. The boy was alive. _His _boy was alive. He had nearly been fooled. The whole funeral had been a false, a very convincing false but he knew better. His mother didn't raise any fools. Hiccup would be his yet but how? The child was far too guarded between the two tribes and that annoyance, Dagur was practically all over him. Was there a way to use that?

A dark thought came to him. This trust between the two tribes was still new and still very unstable. It would be so easy to topple it and bring the Hooligans and Berserkers back to war. There was no better way to bring about chaos then by destroying a precarious friendship between two tribes. Oh this would be good. This was going to be the war to end all wars and ensure the destruction of Berk. Soon everything he ever wanted will be his and maybe, maybe he'll take a little treat for himself.


	26. Chapter 26

Brothers 26

**You thought I was done? I am far from done…I think...maybe. Alvin?**

**Alvin: No, I still have a trap to set.**

**Dagur, smirking: A trapper's trap can trap the trapper.**

**Hiccup, confused: What does that even mean?**

**Alvin shrugs in confusion while Dagur laughs like a madman.**

**Seriously, you thought we were done?**

There were some things that regardless of what culture you may be from teenagers should never do until they were fully grown…well even some grownups shouldn't do as well but as the old saying goes "When on Berserk do as the Berserkers do". And so Hiccup did. When celebrating drinking excessively sometimes came with the territory and usually Stoick would water down any alcohol Hiccup might consume and at first he did just that but he had under estimated his son's popularity. He soon lost track of where Hiccup was, usually finding him with Dagur or amongst a group of teens chattering away with Toothless curled protectively around him. Which meant he also lost track how much Hiccup drank. But of course he was consumed in his own merriment so he didn't worry overly much about the boy. Since the supposed Alvin sighting he had instructed both boys to stay in the center of the Great Hall, close to the brightly burning hearth and within sight of everyone. So Stoick wasn't the only one keeping an eye on them, Gobber would check on them periodically as would Harold and Miriam. If it bothered the boys neither of them complained. In fact Hiccup was all smiles and laughter as was Dagur.

"Okay, seriously, why dragons?" Dagur asked as he leaned back against the hearth, absorbing the warmth of the fire. "No offense to Toothless but of all the creatures in the world why befriend dragons? How did that even come to be?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Honestly that wasn't my original intent. I…was testing out an invention to help protect the village during a dragon attack and well…I caught Toothless."

"Why didn't you kill him?"

Toothless snuggled closer and Hiccup ran a hand over his large head as he smiled. "Because it would have been like killing myself. He was just as frightened of me as I was him. It wasn't easy but we became friends and since then nearly inseparable. He's my best friend."

Dagur nodded as if in understanding. He took a deep drink from his chalice. "Do you ever regret it? I mean since becoming the Dragon Conqueror Alvin's been after you."

Hiccup shrugged. "Sometimes, but I wouldn't change a thing other than you know the obvious. How about you? Why do they call you 'deranged'."

Dagur burst into laughter. "Isn't it obvious?"

A grin tugged at Hiccup's lips as he drank his mead. "Yeah, the knives and trying to drown people for asking innocent questions makes it rather obvious…and the stuff with your dad. You know mine would never do that right?"

Dagur nodded. "Yeah, I know."

For a while neither spoke and just stared at the jumping flames. Then Hiccup gave s small yawn and snuggled against Toothless. "You know I like this, you and me actually talking. We should do it more often," he murmured as he closed his eyes.

"No! No sleeping," Dagur objected, jumping to his feet and pulling Hiccup up. "Come on, Hic, you slept for nearly twenty-four hours and took a nap earlier today. This is a celebration! Let's party. Come on, have another drink and let's dance."

"You can't dance," Hiccup pointed out with a laugh but he let Dagur pull him away while Toothless slept.

"Neither can you yet Cora swears you're the best dancer she's ever been with."

"You set that up!"

"Did not." But the grin on Dagur's face told it all. Dagur had sent Cora to cheer Hiccup up and get him to have a little fun. The little girl was asleep now but Hiccup wasn't upset, he had fun dancing with her. She was a sweet kid and Toothless seemed to adore her as well and that was all Hiccup ever needed to see to be able to trust someone…usually, there was that issue with Heather a while back.

Dancing to Dagur was pretty much the same as telling stories around a campfire. There was a lot of bouncing around and yelling at the top of his lungs and he would grab Hiccup's arms and twirl him around, laughing hysterically. It made Hiccup dizzy but he laughed too. Maybe it was the alcohol but watching the room spin made his giddy and sick all at the same time and he knew his father would not be pleased if he made a fool of himself but for once he didn't care. He didn't care about much at the moment but that was only due to his mind being a little too fuzzy. All he could do is laugh and Dagur probably have pinned him against a pillar and kissed him until he couldn't breathe anymore. In the end he fell on his rear, laughing uncontrollably.

"Alright, that's enough," Stoick announced as he strolled past amused Berserkers and Hooligans to retrieve his drunk son. "It's way past someone's bed time." He picked Hiccup up by under his arms and threw him over one shoulder, careful enough to not upset the boy's stomach any more than it most likely already was. He glared at Dagur who also seemed a little woozy on his feet. "You should as well. In fact it's time for all the kids to head to their beds."

There was a bunch of awws but Stoick was not one to say no to and soon all the kids and teenagers were off to bed.

"Aww…Dad, you're embarrassing me," Hiccup whined as he playfully slapped his father's backside. "Put me down."

"You can't even walk," Stoick pointed out as he strolled out of the Great Hall and to a hut that had been quickly repaired and given to Dagur and his family, most of which were spending the night at the Great Hall. Dagur followed closely behind and not far behind him was Toothless.

"I can too! Hicc-up!" Hiccup gasped and slapped his hands over his mouth as a second hiccup escaped him.

Dagur began snickering as Hiccup's hiccups got worse. "Oh now I get it, you were born hiccupping!" he laughed, nearing tripping in his amusement. Toothless caught him before he hit the ground.

Stoick only shook his head in bemusement. He was going to have to keep a better eye on these two when they got together otherwise Dagur was going to teach his boy too many bad things. Last thing Stoick needed was a smaller version of Dagur on his hands.

By the time he made it to the hut only a few hundred feet away Hiccup was already passed out yet still hiccupping while Dagur giggled uncontrollably. Thankfully the hut was in fit shape and Stoick was able to carry Hiccup up to the loft where he laid him down on some blankets and tucked the remainder over and around him. It was times like this when Hiccup looked far too small and childlike to be a dragon rider let alone drink. But today was a very important day and considering all that had happened Stoick was simply happy to have his son alive.

Chuckling to himself he leaned forward and brushed his lips against the boy's forehead. "Tomorrow you're going to have the worse hangover in Viking history. It'll teach you not to drink like that again until you're a man. You'll take good care of him, hey boy?" he asked Toothless as the dragon dropped to the floor next to his rider.

"Hic is a man," Dagur said proudly as he dropped onto another makeshift bed not far from Hiccup's. "He'll make a great chief. Didn't even throw up. That's the strength of a great chieftain."

Stoick shook his head. That must have been something Oswald instilled in the boy but before he could question Dagur further the boy had passed out and was sound asleep. Oh well, at least Dagur was quiet when he slept and not nearly as annoying as he was when awake. Stoick only hoped that the younger Berserker chief didn't try anything funny with Hiccup otherwise he might have to kill him…or castrate him, one of the two.

"You better keep a good eye on them," Stoick said sternly to Toothless. The dragon open one eye, adjust his head and yawned widely before lowering his head and going to sleep as well. Yeah, Toothless wasn't going to be any help unless Hiccup was in any real danger. Well that would have to do for now. He'd have some of the other kids spend the night on the main floor and post a few guards around the building. While he hadn't seen Alvin or any other Outcasts in or around the Great Hall it didn't necessarily mean that they weren't around. Alvin was called Treacherous for nothing but he still wanted to hold onto the hop that the fake funeral had been enough to chase Alvin away. He wasn't going to take any chances, even if it meant he had to spend another sleepless night to protect his child.

. . .

Nightmares had become a part of Hiccup's life ever since losing his leg in the battle with Red Death. He'd had them when he was younger too, when his mother first left and then when Dagur began acting weird but those were nothing like the Red Death until now. Now he twisted and turned in his sleep, whimpering softly as if fearful of waking any one. He was the son of the Hooligan Chief and an heir never showed fear even when asleep. So for the most part his whimpers went unheard but the visions he saw were very real to his unconscious mind.

He was back in the burning building, choking on smoke while fighting for his life as he battled Alvin, now larger and more frightening than in real life, as if he were a demon out to possess Hiccup's very soul. And rather than besting him in the clashing of swords Hiccup was forced back and unable to land not a single blow. And then Alvin had him pinned, an incredibly large hand around his throat and threatening to squeeze the very life out of him.

"You'll be mine, Hiccup," Alvin hissed, his foul breathe bringing tears to Hiccup's eyes but no matter how much he fought he couldn't escape. He knew he was about to suffer a fate crueler than death.

The whimpers turned into cries as he struggled under the blankets that seemed to somehow wrap around him tighter and tangle his legs until that trapped feeling was all consuming and he was on the verge of screaming and just when he thought for sure Alvin was going to tear away his close and rape him as he had threatened so many times Hiccup awoke, drenched in sweat and being shaken awake by Dagur. He didn't think twice, didn't ask questions, he simply threw himself in the older boy's arms, needing the big brother Dagur once was to him. He needed that brother more than anything else in the world at that moment, not caring about the two times Dagur had kissed him or all the affectionate hugs and pats that was so uncommon between them. Later he might think of them but not now.

"Shh…" Dagur soothed as he held the smaller boy close. "It's alright. He can't hurt you now. I won't let him."

Hiccup could only guess he had spoken in his sleep but he said nothing else. He was grateful when Dagur slipped in next to him and held him. It wasn't anything sexual. No flirting or touching, both far too tired for anything of the sort. Dagur patted Hiccup's head before wrapping an arm around his waist, Hiccup's back to Dagur's belly just like the first night. For the rest of the night Hiccup slept in peace, no longer afraid of Alvin jumping out of the shadows or trying to consume his soul or whatever other horrors the Outcast had in store for him.

. . .

Alvin was indeed still on the island but not for much longer. Now that he knew Hiccup was alive he had all the time in the world to capture the boy and he would, when the time was right. Thor had favored the child and therefore now was not the time to anger the guard by stealing the child. No, he would wait. In time Hiccup would do something to lose the God's favor and would one day again be Alvin's to take and while he wasn't a patient man Alvin did now a thing or two about fate. His fate and Hiccup's were entwined, that was why neither of them had died in battle. Hiccup needed him just as much as Alvin needed the boy. Oh and the things he had planned for young Hiccup. Oh yes, he would have the Dragon Conqueror, it was all a matter of time.

. . .

"You look so much like her," Rayanamiriam said as she stroked Hiccup's cheek a few days later. She smiled warming at her long lost nephew with a sense of pride and eyes full of love. She looked a lot like Valhallrama herself, same auburn hair and bright green eyes. "You and Victor could have passed as brothers."

Hiccup smiled shyly. "I wish I could have known him."

She nodded. "Yes, well…" She glanced over at Stoick with a frown before sighing and turning her gaze to Hiccup. "We can't linger on the past but I'm sure the two of you would have made good friends. Remember, you do have family here and a home and I expect you to visit often, understand. Just because mister tall dark and gruesome over there can't take the time to bring you to visit me even when he is on the island doesn't mean you can't. Our door is always open to you."

Hiccup nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Aunt Raya," she corrected, flicking his nose. "None of this ma'am stuff, understood?"

"Yes, Aunt Raya," Hiccup said with a grin. It felt odd having a family he never knew about until only a few days ago.

Raya presented him with a small box. "Your mother made this for my Victor when he was little. She said you had a matching one. I would be honored if you can put it with yours. It's all I have left of your mother. I wish there was more."

Opening the box Hiccup found a stuff dragon almost identical to the one he had on his headboard at him. He looked up in wonder and smiled widely. Raya gave him a big hug before shooing him over to Toothless who stood proudly in his new harness and saddle just waiting to take to the air. In the days since the funeral Gobber and Hiccup had worked hard to rebuild Toothless's prosthetic tail fin and rods so that the Nightfury could get back in the air. Toothless hated being grounding more than Hiccup did but the rider was itching to get back in the sky as well.

Dagur clasped his arm. "Take care, brother," he said with that silly grin that Hiccup had come to know that there was some sort of hidden meaning in his words, as if he wanted to say something else but couldn't due to people being around – namely grownups and Stoick who might skin him alive if he said or tried anything inappropriate. "I'll be expecting that 'air mail' in a few days."

Hiccup grinned. "Just remember not to kill the messenger. I rather like Sharpshot and will be upset if anything happened to him."

Dagur rolled his eyes. "I won't kill your precious dragons. Just remember to come back and visit. I might want to find myself a dragon to ride. Maybe my own Nightfury."

Toothless made a sad face and Hiccup rubbed his wide neck. "Unfortunately, he's the last of his kind so that'll be unlikely."

"We'll see," Dagur said, also rubbing Toothless's head. "We'll see." He stepped back as the dragon began beating his powerful wings and took to the air. A moment later the rest of the dragons followed suit. Dagur waved up to Hiccup and Toothless. "Safe journey!"

Hiccup waved back and then, a few seconds later the dragons took formation, Stoick and Hiccup in the lead and headed toward Berk. Gobber and the rest of the Berk warriors cast off and followed not far behind at a much slower pace.

Dagur stayed where he stood until the dragons were out of sight and then stayed there a few minutes longer in contemplation. Toothless was the last of his kind? Impossible. He had seen other Nightfuries but where. He pondered that, knowing without a doubt he had seen more of the ebony dragons somewhere…on an island he once visited with his father, when he had first fell in love with the beasts and planned on making one's skull into a helmet, not that he wanted to anymore. He had a better plan. He would make Toothless extremely happy. He would find a Nightfury just for Toothless. It might seem impossible but Dagur knew that if anyone could do it then it would be him because no one was as deranged or as dedicated in such a quest as he was.

A small hand tugged his and he looked down to see Cora looking up at him with those wide green eyes and hugging a black stuff dragon that looked suspiciously like Toothless. "You want to play?" she asked in that tiny voice she had when she was sure Dagur would refuse due to big kid stuff.

"Alright," he said, surprising her. "What do you want to play?"

She brightened instantly. "Dragon tag?"

He grinned. It was his favorite game as a child. "You better start running then because I'm the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, the mighty Nightfury!" He snatched the stuffed dragon from her hands and roared the roar of the Nightfury. In the distance a roar answered him and Dagur pause and smiled. Then, without further hesitation he ran after his sister feeling more alive and normal then he had in a very long time.

The End…for now

**Okay, tomorrow morning I'll do a little smut but it all depends on reviews tonight. You're choices are sweet dagcup, dubcon dagcup, noncon dagcup or a noncon Alvin/Hiccup...sort of a what could have happened if Savage handed Hiccup over to Alvin or if Alvin catches Hiccup later. Anyway, if no votes or reviews come in before I start typing in the morning then I'll pick but I'm sure that those who like smut will love it whatever my choice but it does help when I get suggestions and prompts. Night all!**


End file.
